Kiss, Kiss
by LumiOlivier
Summary: (Part 1 of 3) READER FIC. You're starting at a new school and for any normal person, that's difficult. For someone with your list of diagnoses, it's even worse. Especially when all you want is to keep your head down and find a quiet place to study. (Part 2: Back to Normal, I Guess. Part 3: Our New Normal)
1. Starting Today, You Are A Princess

**A/N: So, I decided to tackle Ouran High School Host Club! Why not? Now, here's the thing. In case you're not familiar with how I run my fan fiction, this is READER FIC. You, the reader, are known as Lana, a transfer student that managed to get into Ouran Academy. There will be some triggers throughout this story that include self-harming and depression and anxiety and various mental health issues/the angst and comfort that goes along with it. I'll give you a heads up when I do make mentions of these things (By the way, there's a brief implication of cutting in this chapter). Let's just say, I was having a bad night and I needed to go to my happy place. That just so happens to be Music Room #3. So, without further dudes…Kiss, Kiss.**

I guess all that time in the books paid off. I managed to score a scholarship to Ouran Academy. Usually, that school was reserved for the aristocracy. I am but a lowly commoner. That's fine. As long as I keep my head down and blend into the background, I won't be noticed and I'll managed to get through. Right?

I kept a white cardigan on over my big, yellow dress to keep people from asking questions and to not draw attention to myself. The last thing I wanted to do was explain my scars. They were no one else's business but mine. Not my classmates. Not my parents. Not the doctors. I had my reasons. I'll leave it at that.

As soon as the final bell rang on the first day of the new term, I decided to explore the school a little. Honestly, I just wanted to find somewhere quiet and secluded to study. This school has four libraries, but one of them can't be quiet? Or borderline vacant? I looked up at a sign that said Music Room No. 3. It looked pretty abandoned. But once I opened the door, I realized how wrong I was.

I was blasted in the face with cherry blossom petals. That wasn't how I imagined my death. Or even how I imagined the rest of my day going. But amongst the commotion that was the flower petals, a chorus of boys sang out, "Welcome!"

"Say," one of them, I'm assuming their leader, spoke out, "I've never seen you in here before, princess."

I nearly choked on air when he called me princess. I had no idea what to do. He had me completely frozen. I could hardly see any of them. I think I might have started to black out, "I-I'm new. I just st-started here."

"Aren't you a commoner, too?" another asked.

"Just like you, Haru-chan!" another voice chimed.

I started to regain my vision and my footing and I saw them all sitting in front of me. Wow. They were cute. Which made this even worse! I could feel a nosebleed becoming imminent. I needed to sit down before I…I…

Too late.

When I regained consciousness, I heard muffled voices around me. Some of them sounded almost panicked. Way to go, Lana. You didn't want to draw attention to yourself, yet here you are, causing trouble for a group of boys that don't even know you. Congratulations. You earned your gold star for the day.

"What do you suppose we do, Tamaki?"

"I don't know. Should we try waking her?"

"Probably shouldn't do that, senpai. It would only make her worse."

Hold on. That was a girl's voice. I thought they were all boys…

"What happened?" I slowly opened my eyes.

"There you are," the tall, blonde, pretty boy chimed, "Good to have you back. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I sat up, "Just fainted. You don't need to worry about me."

"My name is Tamaki," he introduced himself, "You're the new transfer student, aren't you? Lana, right?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "That's me. How do you know about me, Tamaki?"

"It's not every day a commoner comes through the doors of Ouran Academy," the one in the glasses looked down at his notebook, "The last time it happened was our own Haruhi."

"Are you an honor student, too, Lana?" the girl asked. I could only assume that was Haruhi.

"Yeah," I pulled myself together a little better, standing on my own two feet, "I just wanted somewhere to study."

"Be careful," she smiled, "That might lead to you breaking an eight-million-yen vase."

"Eight million yen?" my heart stopped and I stumbled over my own two feet, "I don't have that kind of money."

"Don't worry," Tamaki settled me, sitting me back down, "We won't make you join the host club."

"Host club?" I gave him a look, "What do you mean?"

"It's your first time," he explained, "In the confines of this room, the school's handsomest boys entertain beautiful young ladies such as yourself that have way too much time on their hands."

"But I don't have too much time on my hands," I tried getting up, "I just want to study."

"You shouldn't push yourself," Tamaki kept me on the sofa, "You'll just end up passing out again. Kyoya, call a doctor."

"No!" I snapped, "Don't do that. Please don't. You've already done too much. I don't need a doctor. Whatever you do, please don't call a doctor."

"Alright," Kyoya put his phone back in his pocket, "I won't call a doctor."

"Haruhi," Tamaki kept his voice low, "Could you bring her a cup of tea?"

"Sure," Haruhi obliged.

"No," I stopped her, "That's alright. You don't need to. I should be going anyway."

"But you just got here," the twins spoke in unison.

"Really," I stood, "I'm fine. You don't need to worry. I'll be ok. Bye!"

I sprinted out the door as soon as humanly possible. I couldn't handle it. They had never met me before, but they wanted to help me? I didn't understand. And being the center of attention like that made my skin crawl. I just wanted to study! Instead, I got a reverse harem throwing me into one of the worst anxiety attacks I've had in a while. Well, I guess it's time to change the _x_ days without anxiety ruining my life counter.

I couldn't believe the school would even allow such a thing. They were practically prostituting themselves out of the music room. I don't care how cute they all were. Something about it struck me as wrong and immoral and downright disgusting. They toyed with the emotions of their clientele and that wasn't fair. I was going to double up on my medication and give them a piece of my mind tomorrow!

Although…

It was kind of nice that they tried to take care of me after I fainted. Maybe they're not evil. Or wrong. Or immoral. Or disgusting. Maybe I overreacted. That wouldn't surprise me. I'm kind of the queen of overreactions. Maybe instead of judging them so quickly, I should give them a chance. I'd be ok. I mean, they can't be all that bad if they tried helping a lost cause like me.

 **A/N: End chapter one. I'm not sure if I'll do this one on a weekly basis like the others. Like I said, this one happened because I was having a rough night and the music room is my happy place. I wouldn't say this is half bad for a first chapter. Maybe I'll post another one next week. Maybe I won't. Don't hold your breath and I'll see you next chapter. xx**


	2. Mori-Senpai's Surprising Change of Heart

**A/N: Triggers for this chapter include scar mentions and implications of past self-harm.**

"Welcome!" the flower petals enveloped me once again.

"Princess Lana," Tamaki sang, "I didn't expect you to be back today. How are you feeling?"

"Fine," I pulled at my cardigan sleeve, "Thank you."

My brain went completely blank. Yesterday, I had all intentions of tearing them all a new one, but when it came down to it, I couldn't. I just couldn't. I kept my opinions to myself and stayed quiet. It got very uncomfortable very quickly.

"It's so nice to see you again," Tamaki took my hand, "Please join us. At least stay for one cup of tea."

I shook in his grip. I wasn't sure what to do with myself. I was painfully uncomfortable and I wanted to go home, but for whatever reason, I couldn't say no, "Ok. One cup."

"Haruhi," Tamaki called out.

"On it," Haruhi bowed, scampering off to God knows where.

"Sit with me, princess," Tamaki insisted, "Unless you'd like another host."

I wasn't sure which one I liked the most. They were all cute in their own right. But being with all of them at one time would send me spiraling. It's bad enough I've already passed out in here once. I don't need to do it again, "No. It's fine. I won't mind sitting with you. And please. Just call me Lana."

"Do forgive me," Tamaki kept a hold of my hand, "So, you're a transfer student?"

"Yes," I nodded, "That's right."

"Where did you transfer from?" he wondered, hanging on my every word.

"I was living in England," I told, "But when the opportunity arose to travel abroad, I took it."

"You're English?" Tamaki looked me over.

"Sort of. Yes."

"I never would've guessed," he put his arm around me, "I'm not a stranger to the European cultures. I, myself, happen to be half French."

That explains a few things, "I've been to France a couple times. Lovely country."

"I don't get to go often," a look of sadness washed over Tamaki's face, "Not as often as I'd like to anyway…"

"Why not?" I wondered, "If you don't mind me asking."

"It's complicated," Tamaki shut it down, "Let's just leave it at that. Besides, I'd much rather talk about you."

"There's not much to talk about," I blushed, "I'm not very interesting."

"I refuse to believe that," he pouted, "Come on, Lana. Tell me about yourself."

About myself? What was I supposed to tell him? I'm only here because my doctor said a change of scenery would be good for me? That the only reason I went to an English boarding school was because my parents in America couldn't handle me? Yeah. I'm sure that's what'll keep him around. My screwed up head, "Really. There's not much to tell."

"Alright," he let it go, "It's really warm in here. Would you like for me to take your sweater?"

"No," my stomach dropped, "That's fine. Please don't."

"I wouldn't want you to overheat," Tamaki worried, "Are you sure?"

"Positive," I was in no mood to discuss what was under my sleeves.

"Lana-chan!" the littlest one bounced over to me, "Would you like to have some cake with us?"

"Um," I gave him a look. He couldn't have been more than a first year. He still looked so innocent, "No, thank you. I was actually thinking about leaving."

"You can't go," Haruhi put a silver platter on the table in front of Tamaki and me, "I just brought tea."

"And you did say you'd stay for a cup," Tamaki reminded, "Don't go, Lana. Please?"

I couldn't go. I didn't want to create a fuss, but I didn't want to stay. For the sake of argument, I sat back down, "I did say that, didn't I?"

"What kind of cake do you want, Lana-chan?" the little one offered with sparkles in his eyes, "We have chocolate cake and strawberry shortcake and this one has raspberries on it!"

"Shortcake's never been a favorite," I told, "And if I eat the raspberries, I'll end up going to the hospital, so I think I'll go with the chocolate cake."

"Honey-senpai is rather adamant about his cake," Tamaki justified, "He's quite the connoisseur."

"That's right!" Honey chirped, "Cake and Usa-chan are my favorite things in the whole world!"

I reached for the tiny plate with the wedge of chocolate cake on it and a small gasp came out of Honey's muscle. It wasn't until after I put the plate down that I realized the horrible thing that had happened…My cardigan sleeve came up a little bit. And before I knew it, I was in his arms.

Tamaki looked over at him in sheer confusion, "Mori-senpai…What was that all about?"

But he didn't say anything. He just held me tighter. He saw. Oh, god, he saw. He had to have seen. Just what I wanted. I was waiting to hear it. The lecture. The "I care about you" lecture. The asking why I do it lecture. The same lecture I had heard before and if I went the rest of my life never hearing it ever again, I'd be perfectly happy.

Wait a minute...He wasn't speaking. Which could mean one of two things. Either he was respecting me by not calling attention to it or he understood. I knew I shouldn't have, but curiosity got the best of me. I looked over at the cuffs on Mori's blazer. He was mark free. Visibly anyway.

"Please don't," he whispered to me. In the same breath, Mori put me back down and left me alone.

"That's strange," Tamaki thought, "I've never seen Mori-senpai so affectionate with a guest before."

"Really?" I looked behind me at Mori sitting back with his tiny cohort on the other side of the room, "What makes me so special?"

"You must have really struck a chord with him," he figured.

Mori's words buzzed around in my head and radiated to my core. Between the meaning behind them and the rumble of his voice, it was enough to bring a lump to my throat. No. I'm not crying today. I'm not breaking down today. I'm going to come out of my visit to the host club in one piece.

I took a good, heavy drink from my tea cup to keep myself from breaking down. It was bad enough one of them saw a scare. They didn't need to see me a weeping mess, too, "The tea is good. Jasmine?"

"Yes," Tamaki nodded, "And..."

"Hold on," I stopped him, "I'm getting something else...Chamomile?"

"Impressive," he praised, "You have sensitive palate, Princess Lana."

"I lived in England," I reminded, "I always found comfort in a good, strong cup of tea. Along with a novel thick enough to kill a man with."

"Interesting analogy, Lana," Kyoya chimed in, "If you don't mind me asking, how exactly would one go about killing a man with a novel?"

"If it's extremely thick," I explained, "I'm sure it would have a significant weight to it. Then, you bash your victim's brains in. Never said it wouldn't be messy, but it would get the job done."

If I didn't know any better, I would've thought I had seen Kyoya crack a smile, "I suppose that's one way of looking at it. I think a series of severe papercuts to the throat, wrists, and thigh would be much more efficient."

"You're speaking hypothetically," Tamaki chuckled nervously, "Right, Kyoya?"

"Of course," he smirked, "If I, personally, were going to kill someone, I wouldn't be getting my hands dirty. I thought you would've known that, Tamaki."

On that note, Kyoya turned on his heel, leaving the two of us alone, "He's kind of an enigma, isn't he?"

"He scares the hell out of me some days," Tamaki quivered, "It's only a matter of time before he snaps and people start disappearing."

"I highly doubt it," I sighed out, finishing my tea, "Hey, Tamaki...?"

"Yes, my princess?" Tamaki turned up his charm, "What is it?"

"I..." my cheeks reddened, "I finished my tea. I think I'll be going now."

"Thank you for coming in today, Lana," he smiled, "Should we expect to see you in here more often?"

"I don't know," I shrugged.

"Well," Tamaki took my hand, "How favorable are the odds?"

"Pretty favorable," I hid a smile. However, it didn't last long, "I may not come in tomorrow."

"Why not?" he pouted.

I couldn't tell him it was because of Mori seeing my scars. Or how much my being here today drained me. All I wanted to do now was go home. Come on, Lana. You have a brain full of excuses for these types of occasions, "I just might not be in here tomorrow."

"Fine," he let it go, "If you do decide to come back tomorrow, we'd be more than happy to have you. And if you come back, we'd finally find a girl friend for Haruhi..."

"Thank you, Tamaki," I got up, "I guess I'll see you around."

"Bye, Lana," he dropped onto one knee. We just met. I don't think Tamaki would be doing something as stupid as proposing. His lips pressed against the back of my hand, "The Host Club will be anxiously awaiting your return."

 **A/N: What better way to end the chapter than that final sentence? So, here's the thing. I wouldn't mind this being a very interactive thing. More than anything, I want this to be the fan fiction to help anyone that needs it. I started writing it because I needed someone, something to tell me everything would be ok. I can't tell you how many times I've imagined the scene with Lana and Mori in the midst of a panic attack (or even a depression spell a time or two). Anyway, if there's something you want me to put in this, feel free to say it in the comments. Or if it's too sensitive or personal or anything of the like, my inbox is always open and I don't judge. Help me help you. So, hugs, kisses. And I'll see you next chapter.**


	3. Lana and Haruhi's Girls Day Out

Dare I…?

No. After what happened yesterday, I don't think I could go back to the host club. I don't have the energy to. I don't think I'll be seeing those boys today. As soon as the bell rang, all I wanted to do was go home, crawl into my bed, and call it a day.

"Lana!" a voice called after me.

"Oh," I stopped on my way out, "Hi, Haruhi."

"Where are you going?" she asked, readjusting the bag on her hip.

"I was thinking home," I said.

"Not coming in today?" Haruhi almost looked heartbroken.

"No," I shook my head, trying to keep tears back, "I'm too tired. I think I'm just going to go home and take a nap."

"You sound like Honey-senpai," she giggled a bit, "Only he'll be napping in the music room like he does every other day."

Hard to believe that Honey was older than us and still took naps. Then again, I still took naps. A string of them at night. Most people call that sleep, but I don't think sleep is supposed to be in thirty minute intervals with being awake for two hours in between, "I should be going…"

"Hey, Lana," Haruhi grabbed me before I could leave. Her hand on my wrist made me jump out of my skin a little, "Are you busy tomorrow?"

I thought over my itinerary for tomorrow. I should probably clean my apartment a little. Maybe do some laundry. Do a little grocery shopping. I'm almost out of milk. But I had zero desire to do any of those things, "I don't have anything going on. Why?"

"There's a really good flea market on Saturdays," Haruhi explained, "And I don't want to go by myself."

Flea markets…Big crowds…And the fact that Haruhi wants me to go with her? Just the thought of it made me cringe. But I could, at least, try to push through it, "Sure. Why not?"

"Awesome!" her face lit up. And Haruhi's good mood was infectious.

Until my chemical imbalances brought me back down to Earth, "It'll be just the two of us, right…?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "Believe it or not, I don't take the host club with me everywhere I go. Especially when I go to flea markets. I know better. Trust me. It gets messy."

"Fool you once, I guess."

"It sucks you're not coming to the club today," Haruhi pouted, "But I understand. We'll miss you."

"Send the boys my love," I smiled a little.

"I will," she waved behind her, "See you tomorrow!"

She will. I'm going out tomorrow. I'll be ok. I should be ok…Right?

Once I got home, I made good with my promise. I threw my bag into my couch and my body onto my bed. It didn't take me long to fall asleep. Nice surprises are nice. It was the first time in two weeks that I actually slept through the night.

The next morning, I woke up to a text message from Haruhi, telling me to meet her outside the café down the street from my apartment building. I took my handful of medications and took off. It wasn't a very long walk and that café is one of my favorite places in all of Tokyo. Quiet. Serene. When I moved here, I was on the phone with my doctor and she asked me if I had found my happy place here yet. This café was my happy place.

I sat in my comfortable, welcoming booth tucked away in the corner with my usual order of green tea and little pink mochi to go with it. The best part about this café was their mochi. They all had their own little faces and their own expressions. I saw it as a way to figure out how my day was going to go. Some may see it as strange, but it was something I called my own.

"There you are, Lana," Haruhi joined me, "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," I grabbed my bag off the bench seat, "I'm ready."

"Good," she helped me up, "If it gets to be too much for you, let me know, ok?"

Haruhi's kind words were like a sucker punch to the gut. I mean, I've only been to the host club a couple of times. How could she tell if I couldn't handle big crowds? I'm sure she meant well, but I didn't understand, "Haruhi…?"

"Yeah?"

"You know, don't you?" I asked, nervous about her response.

"Know what?" she smiled sweetly, "Come on. Let's see what the flea market has for us."

She knows. She has to know. Maybe she figured it out on her own. Haruhi's not exactly stupid. One has to be ridiculously smart in order to get into Ouran Academy on a scholarship. And something about Haruhi told me that she didn't come from the money it took to replace the intelligence.

This flea market was massive! Six different floors full of various products waiting to be sold. I hadn't even seen malls in the US this big. Japan was definitely a different monster than I was used to. I could see why Haruhi would be worried about someone like me in a place like this. I started to feel a little queasy, but I'd be able to pull through.

As the two of us got shopping around, we treated ourselves. Clothes, jewelry, miscellaneous items. We didn't have much money between the two of us, but with so many incredible deals around us, we couldn't help ourselves. Especially when we reached a china vendor. My heart skipped a beat or two in the greatest way.

The most adorable white tea pot with some mint green detailing (lotus blossoms, I think) and little flakes of silver stared back at me. Along with the two matching cups that came with it. Definitely love at first sight. I needed this. I needed this in my life yesterday. Something about it reminded me of home. Not the US home. My real home. I was English, minus the beautiful accent, as far as I was concerned. No one could tell me otherwise.

I turned the tea pot over to look at the price. Three thousand yen…Ouch. Not too bad, though. That translated to a little over nineteen pounds and almost thirty US dollars. I looked in my wallet and counted the rest of my money. I had plenty. This little guy and his two brothers were coming home with me and I was going to drink from them this evening.

"Excellent choice," Haruhi commended me, "That's a beautiful tea pot, Lana."

"You think so?" I beamed as I watched the man box it up, "I like it, too."

"Lana-chan!" a familiar voice sang out, "Haru-chan!"

Before we knew it, Honey was latched onto Haruhi's leg, "Hi, Honey-senpai. What are you doing-"

"HARUHI!"

"Come on," Haruhi let out a heavy, exasperated sigh, "I can't get one day off?"

"Hello, my dearest!" Tamaki practically strangled her.

"Hi, senpai," Haruhi blushed as the rest of the host club joined us.

"Wait a minute," I thought it over, "Are you two dating?"

"No," Tamaki sighed, "Unfortunately. I try, but she turns me down."

"Hold on," Haruhi looked over Tamaki's shoulder, "If you brought the whole host club, you're missing one. Where's Kyoya-senpai?"

"We figured it'd be best if we left him behind," one of the twins spoke.

"We all remember what happened last time we brought Kyoya-senpai to the flea market," the other reminded.

Haruhi shuddered at the memory, "At least you guys didn't have to deal with him as much as I did."

"Um…" I broke it up, "Could someone fill me in here?"

"Kyo-chan gets cranky when people wake him up," Honey explained, "Especially when he hasn't had enough sleep."

"We learned from that," Tamaki chuckled to himself, "We missed you at the club yesterday, Lana. Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine," I assured, "Why would you miss me? You barely know me. And I'm sure I'm not the only girl that goes into the host club."

"You're like family to us now, Lana-chan," Honey squeaked.

"That's the thing about the host club," Haruhi went on.

"It's our goal to make anyone who walks through our doors happier," Tamaki added, "And you, Lana, have been our biggest challenge to date."

"I'm a challenge?" I freaked a little, "I don't want to be a burden to you guys."

"You're not a burden," one of the twins, I think Hikaru, put his arm around me.

"We like a good challenge," the other, Kaoru, followed suit. I cringed and started feeling claustrophobic. I didn't want them on me. I barely wanted anyone in close proximity to me, let alone actually touching me.

"Leave her alone, guys," Haruhi called them off.

"Sorry, Haruhi…" they let me go.

"Thanks, Haruhi," I relaxed.

"No problem," she grinned, "Let's do this again some time. Uninterrupted next time."

"Ok," I caught her infectious smile, "It's getting late. I should be heading home. I'll see you later, guys."

"Bye, Lana!"

Wow…I actually had a good day. I was exhausted to all hell, but in the greatest way. I was out and about and I actually had fun. And I wanted to do this again! Especially if it meant me expanding my collection of tea pots. This one could go right next to the light pink one on the shelf in my china cabinet. But if I had a good day today, when will the other shoe drop?

 **A/N: I'm so sorry, guys. I was actually out shopping today, too. And we didn't get home until late in the afternoon. Otherwise I would've had this up earlier. Now, I want to address a guest comment. Yes. I will be adding in your idea. Why? I'll take any and all suggestions I can get. The reason why I didn't have Lana going into an anxiety attack this chapter was because I want to do the occasional nice chapter like this one. I have a really nice idea for one with Lana and Tamaki. But, spoilers. I'll see you next chapter. xx**


	4. Hikaru and Kaoru's Damsel in Distress

Another day. Another eight hours of white knuckling it until the final bell rang. As much as I initially hated them, I was really starting to find solace in that damn music room. For whatever reason, when I had the host club in proximity, everything was a little easier to deal with. Was this that whole support thing my doctor was telling me about? Surround myself with positive people and before I knew it, I'd be a positive person, too? I always thought it was a line of hooey.

"Hey, Lana!" a pair of voices harmonized belonging to none other than the Hitachiin twins.

"Hi, guys," I shook off the primary shock.

"Since we're going to the same place…" Hikaru started.

"You should walk with us…" Kaoru finished his brother's sentence. I guess they were as close as everybody said they were.

"Sure," I smiled, in unusually high spirits, "Why not?"

The three of us walked the Ouran halls together and started heading for the music room. I wonder why it wasn't being used as a music room anymore. Maybe they cut the class? Why would anyone do something so silly? Music was a beautiful thing. Studies showed how wonderful music education is.

Two upperclassmen stopped us in the middle of the hallway, separating me from Hikaru and Kaoru. They were almost too big to pass for high school students. Then again, the same argument could be made about Mori. Or even Honey. Honey could pass for a middle school student and Mori could pass for someone in their mid to late twenties.

"Hey there," one of them shot a wink at me.

"Aren't you a cute little thing?" the other flirted, "What are you doing after school?"

I couldn't say anything. I felt the wink like a punch in the gut and the flirting made me really uncomfortable. I stood there completely frozen, shaking uncontrollably. Come on, Lana. Calm yourself down. You know what will happen if you don't. I looked down at my feet. Maybe if I don't say anything, they'll leave me alone.

"Hey," the first one lifted my chin, forcing me to look at him, "We were talking to you, sweetheart."

"We should go out together…" his buddy suggested, "Just think of all the fun we could have."

That very thought made me nauseous. I felt really lightheaded all of a sudden. Oh, yeah. Whether I wanted it to happen or not, I was about to spiral. And fast. Come on, Lana. Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. Shut up, head. Shut up. Shut up!

"Hey," Hikaru stepped in, "Are you blind? She's with us."

"Please," one of them scoffed, "Like you would know what to do with her."

"Treat her like a human being for starters," Kaoru growled, getting defensive, "Considering she's not a piece of meat…"

"Oh, God…" my breathing picked up. I tried to wiggle out of the grip he had me in.

"What's the matter?" he mocked, "You look like you could use a strong drink and a night with me. And you look like the kind of girl that her mouth says no, but her face says yes."

"Get off her!" Hikaru pushed the guy off me.

"Oh, you didn't want to do that…"

"Maybe I did," Hikaru got in his face, "Kaoru, take care of Lana. I'll get these two morons."

"Lana?" Kaoru took me away from them and sat me down against the wall while his brother proceeded to beating the ever living snot out of the other guys, "Are you ok?"

"No," I quivered.

"You'll be alright," Kaoru assured, "I promise you. You'll be alright. I'm going to be here as you need me, ok?"

"Ok…"

"I'm going to hold you now," he said, cautiously, "Is that ok with you?"

"Yes," I spoke meekly.

Kaoru wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against his chest, "Look at the sakura blossoms, Lana."

"What about them?" I stared out the window.

"They're so beautiful," he pointed out, "And they're much bigger than they were last year. We use a mixture of the sakura petals and rose petals in our flower cannons at the host club."

My breathing started to even out a little bit, "They are rather beautiful, aren't they?"

"Have you ever been to Osaka?" Kaoru asked.

"Can't say that I have," I said, "Haven't seen much outside Tokyo."

"You should see the sakura trees there," he smiled, "Those are a sight to behold. That's for sure."

"Get the hell out of here!" Hikaru finished the fight, "And never come near her again!"

"Hikaru!" Kaoru jumped up to his brother's side after the other guys ran off. He took Hikaru into his arms, "Your hand is bleeding! And bruised! You couldn't have gone a little easier on them?"

"They don't deserve easier," Hikaru snapped, "Are you alright, Lana?"

"I will be eventually," my shaking eased, "Thank you, Kaoru."

"No problem," he gave me a soft smile that made me blush a little.

"I'm sorry if I was any trouble," I apologized, "Hikaru, let me take care of your hands."

"Don't worry about it, Lana," Hikaru settled me, "I think I got it. Haruhi's got bandages. I'm pretty sure I don't need stitches. A little bit of ice and I'll be fine."

The three of us continued our trek to the club while Hikaru nursed his rapidly bruising knuckles. As soon as we got to the club, I was spotted immediately as per usual. Still coming down from my brief panic attack, Tamaki rushed to me, holding me tightly.

"Princess Lana!" he squeaked, "We missed you so much! It feels like ages since we last saw you."

"You saw me Saturday," I reminded, twitching a little, "Remember? Haruhi and I were trying to browse the flea market and you jumped us?"

"Speaking of jumped," Tamaki switched his attention from me to one of his club members, "Hikaru, what happened to your hand?"

"There were some guys," Kaoru explained, "They were hitting on Lana and sent her into a panic attack. They didn't really get the concept that no meant no."

"Here, Hikaru," Haruhi came by with some ace bandage and a couple of gauze pads, "This should help."

"Thank you, Haruhi," Hikaru blushed, "I appreciate it."

"You're welcome."

Tamaki looked like he was about to come apart at the seams. Without another second going by, he scooped Haruhi up into his arms and spun her around, "CUTE! SO CUTE! LOOK AT DADDY'S LITTLE GIRL BEING SO ADORABLE!"

"I'm not your little girl, Senpai," Haruhi shook him off, "I have a dad and he's not you. How many times are we going to go over this?"

"She's right, Tamaki," Kyoya joined us, "Imagine what Ranka would have to say about that."

Tamaki turned to stone at the mention of the name Ranka. Did I just find his off switch? Thanks, Kyoya. Haruhi just shook her head, "Honestly, Kyoya-senpai. Do you really have to bring up my dad every time Tamaki-senpai gets a little out of control?"

"It gets him to stop, doesn't it?"

"True," she confirmed, "But it's completely unnecessary."

"You know, Lana," Tamaki suggested, "You may want to stick around the club for a while. I'm sure those guys realized where Hikaru and Kaoru were going. There's no doubt they'll be waiting for you."

"Thank you, Tamaki," I said, "But you really don't have to go through all this trouble for me."

"We told you before," Hikaru's arm went around me.

"You're not any trouble, Lana," Kaoru's joined his shortly after.

"By the way, Kaoru," I wiggled out of the double team embrace of the Hitachiin twins, "Do you think I could sit with you today?"

"Sure," he nodded, "But Hikaru and I are a package deal."

"I can't split you two up?"

"Well," Kaoru looked toward his brother, almost like he was asking permission, "It's never been done before."

"We could try it," Hikaru suggested, "Tamaki?"

"Ok," Tamaki allowed, "Go ahead. Anything for you, Lana. Anything you need. The other ladies' twincest, yaoi fantasies are going to have to wait for another day."

"Thank you," I turned bright red.

"Well?" Kaoru gestured toward one of the various sofas scattered throughout the music room, "Should I get us some tea, too?"

"No," I shook my head, "That's fine. Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot," Kaoru sat next to me.

"How did you know how to take care of me?" I asked softly.

"He'd probably kill me for saying this," Kaoru chuckled to himself, "But I've had to do it for Hikaru for years. Us being apart like this and him being so ok with it is actually a huge step for him. We've depended on no one but each other since we came out of the womb, so he gets separation anxiety from time to time. He's gotten better since we've been in the host club, though."

"So," I figured, "The brotherly love act isn't an act."

"No," Kaoru shook his head, "I do love my brother. Granted, we exaggerate a little for club purposes, but that's beside the point. What's a host club without a little fan service?"

"Regardless," I rested my head on his shoulder, "Thank you. And you didn't hear anything about me from, say, Mori, did you?"

"No," he gave me a look, "Why would Mori-senpai tell us anything about you? He barely talks anyway unless it's to stop Honey-senpai from overloading on cake. And that's enough to make the ladies swoon."

I thought back to the sound of Mori's voice. I can understand. Coupling that with taking care of someone so cute and innocent like Honey would be enough to make any woman swoon. Myself, included. I couldn't have been more relieved that he didn't say anything. I've said it once. I'll say it again. I don't want to have to explain my scars to people.

"Never mind what Mori would have to say," I brushed him off, "Don't worry about it."

"Hey, Lana…"

"Yeah?"

"Next time you come into the club," Kaoru took my hand, "You can sit with me anytime. And if you find yourself spiraling again, come find me. I don't want to see you suffer. And I really don't want to see you hurt yourself."

"Thank you…"

Kaoru's reassurance was oddly comforting. I guess he had done this a time or two. And by the sounds of it, the rest of the host club weren't very privy to that information. They didn't need to be. I knew what it was like for someone to expose my problems to the world that were better off kept private. I had kids at my old boarding school that did that. It was one of the main reasons why I came to Japan.

The club started to dwindle down and everyone went home. Everyone except one. After everyone else had left, Tamaki was still there. We were the last ones to leave. He sat at the piano and softly struck the keys.

"Tamaki," I sat on the bench with him, "What are you doing still here by yourself?"

"Something about the piano," he continued to play, "It's centering."

"You're really good," I complimented.

"Thank you," the music stopped, "Come here."

"What are you doing?" he took my hands and placed them on the keys.

"Give me control," he requested, "It's alright. You can trust me."

Tamaki hadn't steered me wrong yet. I doubt he was going to anytime soon. He put my hands in the middle of the piano and I followed along with him. I knew some basics on how to play and I could kind of play by ear, but as far as actually playing, I sucked. But somehow, when he and I played together, it sounded like magic.

"Tamaki," I sighed out, "That was incredible."

"I've been playing for most of my life," he told, "I've had a lot of practice. What about you?"

"Oh, no," I passed, "That was more you than me. You had to carry me."

"I wouldn't say you surpass me in skill," he played modest, "But you're not bad."

"You think?" I blushed.

"With a little more instruction," Tamaki figured, "You'd be really good."

"Would you…" I hesitated, "Would you teach me?"

"It'd be my pleasure," he smiled, "Come on. I'll walk you home."

"Ok…"

 **A/N: Hi, guys! I'm going to need a bit of help for next week's update. I need your favorite host. No ties or middle of the road bullshit. I need a definite, you just walked into the host club and you had to pick ONE HOST. Who would you pick? Just curious. May or may not be used in the next chapter. See you next chapter! xx**


	5. The Littlest Host is the Sweetest

Another day, another trip to the host club. I never thought that I'd become a regular. It's not that I wanted to go to the host club. It had more or less become a habit at this point. Bell rings, I go to my locker, I get my stuff, I go to the music room. They became a part of my daily routine. When did that happen?

"Welcome," the boys greeted me as I walked through their doors.

"Hi, guys," I smiled.

"Lana!" they chimed.

"Welcome back, princess," Tamaki took my hand, "Always a pleasure when you're here."

"You're too kind," I blushed.

And that's how our afternoon began. It was an oddly slow day at the host club. Practically dead. We all actually sat together. The boys took care of their respective clients right away, but we all ended up coming back together. I hadn't been this up close and intimate with the host club since I passed out my first day in here. To be honest, it was kind of nice.

"Hey, Lana," the twins harmonized, "Can we ask you something?"

"Sure," I got nervous, "What is it?"

My thoughts started to spiral. What would they be asking me about? They barely knew me. Maybe this is their attempt to get to know me better. They don't need to know me better. That's when people start to learn things they wish they didn't and that's when they all start to leave. I've grown quite comfortable at the host club. I don't want them to leave me.

"We've all become such good friends here," Hikaru started.

"Why haven't we ever hung out outside of school?" Kaoru finished.

Awesome. That's a little comforting. At least it wasn't something ridiculously over the top. Normally, it's the stock of why I always wear a full length sleeve cardigan no matter the weather. They didn't need to know that answer and right now, I was in no position to explain it.

"I don't know," I shrugged, "I don't really get out that much anyway."

"It's a travesty!" Tamaki chirped, "A shame! A disgrace! A dishonor!"

"Do you carry a thesaurus around with you, senpai?" Haruhi wondered.

"Hey, Lana-chan," Honey sat next to me, "Takashi and I were going to get cake after we left here. You should come with us!"

"Um…" I wrung my hands, "I don't know, Honey…"

"Please?" he begged, his eyes practically shooting off glitter.

I couldn't say no to him. Not that adorable little face. I just couldn't. And Honey was so sweet and tenderhearted. I didn't want to be the one to upset him, "Alright. I guess that's fine."

"Yay!" Honey sang out, "I can't wait!"

I never thought I'd be going to a bakery uptown with Honey and Mori. Honestly, I never thought I'd be going out with any of the hosts. Yet here I was with two of them. I bet the other girls would be so jealous. After Tamaki, Honey seems to be the most popular of the hosts. Can't blame them really. He is pretty adorable. I never would've guessed he was a third year.

"What kind of cake is your favorite, Honey?" I asked.

Honey pressed his nose against the glass case, "I can't choose one favorite. All of them! I've never met a cake that I don't like. What about you, Lana-chan? What's your favorite cake?"

"I don't know," I glanced them all over, "They all look pretty tasty."

"You can't have raspberries, right?" Honey worried.

"That's right," I nodded, sitting at our table with the other two following closely behind, "My face will swell to the size of a watermelon and my throat will close up. I'd rather avoid doctors and hospitals at all costs. I'm not a big fan."

"Why not?" Honey asked so innocently.

"Mitsukuni!" Mori snapped at him.

"What is it, Takashi?" he looked up at the giant next to him, a little shaken.

"That's none of our business," Mori explained, softening his voice, "Lana has her reasons. It's her decision whether she shares them or not."

Mori gets it. Mori understands. Mori was the first one to get me. Then again, he was also the first one to see the real cracks in the façade. I felt a strong hand over mine from under the table, holding it tight, and a thumb running over one of my older scars. But just my scars. None of the scabs. Somehow, Mori's face kept its usual statuesque shape.

"It's ok, Mori," I shook him off, "I can tell a story or two."

He gave me a look. A nonverbal 'Are you sure?' look. I knew it all too well. I had seen it on some of my doctors a few times before. I breathed my way through thinking of how to begin the tale of my hatred for doctors.

"You don't have to," Honey saw the error of his ways.

"It's fine," I assured, "When I was still living in London, I had to spend some time in a hospital."

"Were you that sick?" he wondered, completely blind to the truth.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," I went on, "Let's just say it was enough to be on a first name basis with most of the nurses and all of the doctors. I dealt with way too many doctors while I was there. And they all had a god complex. I didn't have a single doctor that I actually liked. Therefore, most doctors…all doctors…sicken me. The very thought of them is enough to make my stomach turn. I know they're a necessary evil in this world, but the less I have to deal with them, the better my life will be."

"We should get a chocolate cake, then!" Honey figured, "Chocolate cake makes everything better!"

"I couldn't agree more," I tried to not eat my problems anymore, but in this case, Honey was onto something. I either needed cake or I needed a good cup of tea. A good chai tea. That sounded good. The littlest host got up to place our order and left Mori and me alone. I wasn't sure how good of an idea that was. But his hand had yet to move.

"Hey," Mori nudged me, "Please forgive him. Mitsukuni has always been an overly curious one."

"It's fine," I promised, "I kind of figured Honey was the inquisitive type. I wouldn't have said anything if I couldn't handle it."

"But how are you?" he asked, "Really?"

"Honestly?" I sighed out, "I'm doing a lot better than what I was. And I think the host club has a little something to do with it."

"Oh?"

"I've been better since I met you guys," I admitted, "I don't have any new marks anywhere. I haven't wanted to draw any. I don't know. Something about being in there…It's occasionally triggering, but not too triggering. Baby steps."

"Anything we can do to help," Mori assured.

And because of them, I was about to take a really big leap. Two weeks ago, when I first walked in the music room, there'd be no way I'd be able to ask something like this. Hell, when Mori saw my scars, I nearly threw up then and there, "Mori, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Have you…" I quivered, "Have you told anyone? At the club? About what you saw?"

"No," he gripped my hand a little tighter, "It's not my place. That's something for you to tell them if you ever wanted to. If you want to keep that your secret, then keep it your secret. I'll make sure it stays that way."

Wow…Mori didn't speak too much when he was around the host club, but when it was just him and me, he spoke volumes. And always said exactly what I needed to hear when I needed to hear it. I did all I could to swallow the lump rising in the back of my throat and the tears welling in my eyes. I rested my head on his shoulder and wrapped around his arm, "Thank you, Mori. I appreciate it."

"No problem," he draped his arm around my shoulders, "Whenever you need someone to listen…"

"You'll be the first one I find," I promised.

Mori took my phone out of my bag and put his number into it while Honey came back with a full chocolate cake and a small Styrofoam cup, "Here, Lana-chan. I thought you'd like this, too. Vanilla chai tea and chocolate cake always work well together."

"Thank you, Honey," I smiled, "I guess you come by your name honestly, don't you?"

"What do you mean?" he cocked his head to the left.

"Everyone calls you Honey," I assumed, "Because you're so sweet."

"I thought it was just the shortened form of my last name," Honey corrected, "But that works, too!"

This was nice. This was very nice. This was one of those rare things I needed in my life and I couldn't have been happier to have it. I had friends that actually cared about me. Even if it were just Honey and Mori right now, I knew I had a few more back in Music Room #3 waiting for me. No. I'm sure it's safe to say we're no longer a group of friends. We were family.

 **A/N: Hi, guys! So! The first host date. I couldn't split Honey and Mori up. Something about it feels immoral. And where better than a bakery? There's no way Honey can say no to cake. Cake is wonderful. Not the same as pie, but… (High fives to those who got the Supernatural reference!) Anyway! Now is a good time to apologize for not updating last week. This is why. I have a perfectly good explanation. The review section was acting up. And the review section kind of helps run this story. Last update, I asked who your favorite host was. And I didn't have a sufficient enough amount of data to post a first date chapter. SO! As a preemptive move, I wrote dates for all of the hosts. And that's what you're getting for the next few weeks!**

 **Unless I do what I told the four people over at the Dramatical Murder fic I was thinking of. I'm debating whether or not for an entire week posting for one story. That would be FIVE chapters in ONE week for an individual story. That would mean I'd start posting an entire week of Dramatical Murder chapters next week and an entire week of Ouran chapters the week after that. But there will be none in between time, so you guys would be going a total of nearly six weeks without a chapter, but you'd have five of them to get you by. Is that an ok thing to do? I thought I'd run it past everyone before I commit to it…So, I'll see you next chapter! xx**


	6. Kyoya-senpai's Shocking Revelation

**A/N: Hi, guys! Welcome to OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB BOMB WEEK! Kind of a mouthful now that I look at it. But holy mother of God, did I miss you guys! And because it has been nearly two weeks since my last update for Kiss, Kiss, how about a recap? Bingers, pay no attention to this part. Just skip to the story. Trust me. You just read this. You know what's going on. Followers, stick around. You'll want to hear this. And just a quick thing before you skip, bingers, there is a trigger in this chapter. We'll be talking about suicide attempts. Not the actual action of doing one, but they'll just be mentioned. If that's not your thing, I understand completely, I love you, and we'll see you tomorrow. Go ahead and skip this chapter.**

 **So! Bingers, are you all gone? Are you in the story yet? If the answer is no, get that way. Because this is for the followers that haven't been here in a while. Now, where we last left off, Lana was on a cake date with Honey and Mori. This upcoming chapter is taking place the next day, but we know Honey can't pick a favorite cake and Lana doesn't like hospitals. Mori also gave Honey a bit of a proverbial spanking (not a literal one, you yaoi weirdos) for asking why. Also, Mori is a giant teddy bear. No one can convince me otherwise. Go forth, followers. Read the next chapter. You've waited long enough for it.**

Failed…? I can't fail. I can't believe I failed. I studied my ass off for hours and still nothing. If I fail, I'll lose my scholarship. Something tells me that Ouran tuition doesn't come cheap. If I lose my scholarship, I can't come here anymore. If I fail…I lose my host club. And that is not an option.

"Princess Lana," Tamaki found me in a secluded corner of the music room, "Are you alright?"

"Fine," I lied, my failed biology test crumbled up in my fist, "Why?"

"You've been over here by yourself since the club opened," he pointed out, "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Tamaki," Kyoya joined us, "Don't push her."

"I'm not pushing her," Tamaki assured, "What's in your hand?"

"Don't look!" I curled into a little ball, "Don't look! I got a biology test back today and I failed miserably, ok? I'll be fine."

"Lana," Kyoya offered his hand, "You and I are in the same biology class, right?"

"I think so," I stuttered, "Why?"

"If you'd like," he pulled me to my feet, "I'll help you study. Say, after the host club closes?"

I stared up at Kyoya, completely lost in his hypnotic gaze, "Ok. If I'm not too much trouble."

"It's no trouble at all," he took my other hand, "Now, do you need more time by yourself or would you like to join the rest of us?"

"I'm ok," I shook it off, "It's just one test, right?"

"That's the spirit!" Tamaki sang, taking me away from, who Tamaki affectionately referred to as, Mommy.

As soon as the host club came to a close, Kyoya and I went straight to the library. For whatever reason, my brain couldn't process biology. Ironic really. And just what I wanted to kill my afternoon doing. Discussing reproduction with Kyoya. It made me cringe. And I think he could tell.

"Lana…" Kyoya broke the uncomfortable silence, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," I allowed, "What is it?"

"What made you come into the host club?" he asked innocently.

I didn't even really know why I went into the host club. It's not like I knew it was a host club to begin with. I thought it was an empty music room. I was hoping it was an abandoned music room, "I was just looking for somewhere quiet."

"To breathe one out?" he assumed. That made my stomach instantly knot up. How in the hell would Kyoya know that much about me? I had maybe said a handful of words to him in my entire life. According to Haruhi, though, Kyoya knew everything about anyone. I always thought she was joking.

"Um…" I wasn't sure what to say. I did want to go somewhere quiet…And I had felt a panic attack bubbling up. It was my first day at a new school in a new country where I knew absolutely no one and I was spoken about in hushed whispers all day. My every move was watched. Everyone had become so fascinated by me. The shiny new commoner in the halls of the Ouran Academy that came all the way from England to be here. For little old me, once the bell rang, I was overwhelmed. Of course, I'd need somewhere quiet. And a small part of me was starting to feel the same way again.

"I'm sorry," Kyoya apologized, "I'm starting to realize that confrontation is a trigger for you. Please forgive me. That wasn't my intention at all. Are you alright?"

"I'll be ok," I was already coming down, "Wow, Kyoya. You sound like someone that's been through the system a time or two."

"I understand you, Lana," he took my hand, "Much better than you think. Like the day you had your panic attack in the music room."

"How did you know I was having a panic attack?" I wondered.

"I already had my suspicions when you walked in," he explained, "You didn't look to be the most level headed. Along with your speaking patterns and your actions leading up to it, solidifying my theory. Could I ask you another question without it being a trigger?"

"Go ahead," I did my best to keep as calm as humanly possible.

"Have you ever been hospitalized…?"

"Once," I shivered at the memory, "Psychiatric ward was hell…"

"I know what you mean," Kyoya sympathized.

Wait…What?

"You know…?" I looked deeper into his eyes. Oddly enough, they looked like mine…

"Not very many people know about this," Kyoya began, "The host club doesn't even know. I was gone for six weeks."

"They had to have noticed," I assumed, "Tamaki's lucky if he can tie his shoes without you. The whole host club must have imploded."

"They had Renge to keep them in line," he assured, "You haven't met her yet. We've purposefully kept Renge from you. She's quite a force of nature. She's the very definition of a tsundere. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't kill anyone."

"I'd have to steer clear of her senpai then," I giggled.

"Lana, I'm her senpai."

"Oh…" I got really nervous, "She's not here, is she…?"

"No."

"So, where did everyone think you were?" I asked.

"Vacation," Kyoya went on, "But I was in one of my family's hospitals."

"What did you do to get in one of them?" I felt kind of bad, forcing him to talk about this, but my doctor always told me that talking was a sign of recovery.

"You know how statistics show Japan's suicide rate is sixty percent higher than the rest of the world?" Kyoya explained, "And how it's more common, for lack of a better word, among students?"

"Yeah."

"I was one of those statistics," he confessed, "One of the maids thought I was asleep at my desk. That is until she saw all the blood on the desktop. An ambulance was called. I was kept under watch for a few weeks. Forced into therapy. Went home. Stayed for another week with one of the doctors on hand. Went back to school the following week, pretending like nothing happened. What about you?"

I was still processing Kyoya's hospital stay to even think about my own, "What?"

"I showed you my scars," he pointed out, "Care to show me yours?"

He made it sound like I was obligated to. I guess I kind of was. I had a feeling that Kyoya wearing his heart on his sleeve like this wasn't a very common occurrence. And I was getting kind of attached to him. I felt like we could confide in one another.

I kept my voice down, "Can I show you something?"

"Sure," he nodded.

I took him by the hand and led him to the most secluded corner of the library. I wasn't even sure if we were supposed to be back here, "The only reason you get to see what I'm about to show you is because I know you won't judge me."

"Who's to say I won't?" he asked, keeping a firm grip on my hands to ease my shaking.

"Because you'd have no right," I sat on the floor, my uniform dress billowing underneath me, "If you were to judge me for what I'm about to show you, it would just make you a hypocrite. And something tells me that you and hypocrisy don't mix."

"I promise you, Lana," Kyoya joined me on the floor, "I won't judge. You can show me."

"Ok," I took slow, labored breaths as I started to peel off my cardigan. The one thing I had shown NO ONE. The only reason why Mori saw was because of a momentary lapse of me making sure my sleeves were pulled down.

"Lana," Kyoya stopped me, "I think I've seen enough. I don't want you to strain yourself."

"No," I kept going, "I'm ok. You showed me your scars. The least I can do is show you mine."

I tossed the blob of white fabric in my hand aside, revealing the thirty-seven different sized scars up my arms. Some were burns. Some were knives. Every single one of them had a memory. Some shared the same memory, but they all had one thing in common. All of them were low points. All of them were times in my life where things were too unbearable and I wanted an easy way out.

I carefully studied Kyoya's face out of the corner of my eye. Hurt. Sympathetic. All the usual suspects. But I didn't see pity. That was new. Usually when people saw my scars, it went hurt, empathy, fear, and pity. I guess two of the four wasn't bad. Kyoya understood. Only one word graced his lips, "Why?"

"Depression," I pointed, "Depression. Depression. Feeling like I wasn't good enough. Depression. People. People. Someone asking me on a date only to find out it was a bet. Depression. Bad nights. Worse mornings. You know the excuses."

"Mine was a one-time thing," Kyoya showed me the one long scar on his left forearm, reaching from his wrist to his elbow, "If you think of the outside influences as lesser beings, it kind of helps. And your false cockiness eventually turns into real confidence. That's when the outside influences start to fear you and rumors start that you're actually yakuza."

"You're that Kyoya Ootori," I giggled, breaking the tension, "I've heard. You're not, right…?"

"Of course not," he promised, putting my cardigan back on me, "Come on. I'll walk you home."

"Hey, Kyoya," I stopped him.

"Yes?"

I wrapped myself around his arm, "Thank you…"

"I just helped you study, Lana," he smiled a little, "Reproduction's not your strong suit. No need to thank me."

Kyoya always seemed like a relatively positive person. He was hard to read when I first came into the host club. Even now, he was difficult to figure out. But knowing what I know and knowing that I'm one of the chosen few…It's nice not to be alone.

 **A/N: Really, truly, and whole heartedly, I do think Kyoya has been in dark places. Just judging by the last episode. And he is also my little bumblebee and needs some love. Kyoya's not my favorite host. Not at all. And I also noticed I was lacking some serious Renge…Maybe we need to change that. We need to make that introduction. Soon enough, I'm sure. But anyway! Welcome to day one. And tomorrow…We'll have another date tomorrow and another Wednesday, but if you'd like a hint for who it's going to be tomorrow…Think about what the day will be tomorrow. That should be enough. See you next chapter! xx**


	7. The Little Devils are Angels in Disguise

**A/N: Happy day two! Possible triggers for this chapter…Would body dysmorphia be one? Because that's kind of addressed in this chapter. I don't know…And there's a** _ **slight**_ **mention of Lana's self-harming problem, but it's just that. A mention. And there's a part of this based on my own personal past experience and writing it kind of sucked. Nothing like war flashbacks. But wasn't it Hemmingway that said to write hard and clear about what hurts? Well…This hurt. Enjoy, guys. See you at the end.**

I was really loving my new rut. Warm, cozy. The host club definitely did me more good than I thought it would when I first walked through these doors. I hadn't had an inkling of my anxiety all day. I got a smile out of Kyoya in biology. I felt like I could probably take on anything the world had to throw at me. it had been a long time since I've felt this good.

I walked into the host club with a smile on my face and excitement in my heart. This newfound attitude did not go unnoticed by the club. And of course, the first one to spot me like a heat seeking missile would be their fearless leader.

"Princess Lana!" Tamaki squeaked, "Always a pleasure to see you. You seem different, though. Could it be your cerulean eyes shining a little brighter? Perhaps the blush in your cheeks a little more prominent?"

"Or the fact that I'm in a good mood for a change," I giggled, rolling my eyes at him, "If you were ever planning on introducing me to Renge, now would be the time."

"Renge's out sick today," Kyoya skimmed through his notebook. After our trip to the library yesterday, I couldn't look at him the same way. I saw Kyoya vulnerable. Something none of his regulars would ever see. Hell, the host club would probably never see it either.

"Just my luck," I sat down, not letting it ruin my mood.

"Who are you sitting with today, Lana-chan?" Honey asked me, sitting on my lap.

"You know what?" I thought out loud, "I don't know, Honey. I really don't."

"In that case…" a dark grin appeared on Hikaru's face.

"Why don't you come with us?" his brother mirrored him, "Would that be ok with you?"

"Sounds good to me," I allowed with my weird spark of 'say yes to life' attitude, "Where are we going?"

"On a field trip!" they spoke in unison.

"Ever been treated like a princess?" Hikaru wondered.

"No…" I started to get a little nervous. Always did when those two were up to something, "Not that I remember anyway."

"Is it alright with you, boss?" Kaoru begged, "Can we clear our afternoon to play with Lana?"

"You…what…?" Tamaki dissolved into the shadows, "You want to skip out on the host club to take Daddy's other little girl somewhere…?"

"Um…" I gave Tamaki a look, "My dad's in the States. He's not you."

"Mommy dear…" he wept.

"What, Tamaki?" Kyoya groaned. I have a feeling he's done thins a time or two before.

"Do you think it's a good idea?" he worried.

"I think Lana is capable of making her own decisions," Kyoya explained, "She's aware of her limits. I'm sure if Hikaru and Kaoru get to be too much, they'll stop what they're doing immediately. Isn't that right?"

A red glint sparked in Kyoya's eyes as he shot a glare at the twins, striking fear into their very souls. And Mori's confirmation grunt solidified it. It even gave me chills. Hikaru threw an arm around me, "Don't worry, Kyoya-senpai."

"We can take care of Lana," Kaoru promised, "Wouldn't be the first time."

"That's very true," I confirmed, "I'm sure I can handle these two."

"By yourself?" Tamaki wrapped his arms around me, attempting to snap me in half, "I don't want anything to happen to you, Lana."

"Tamaki," I pried him off my waist, "I'm fine. I've been good all day. Your concern is appreciated, but I'll be ok."

"So, does that mean we can go?" the twins harmonized.

"I don't see a problem with it," Kyoya answered for Tamaki, who still pouted in his shadowy corner, "As long as Lana comes back in one complete piece."

"What about us?" Kaoru whined.

"Shouldn't we come back in one piece, too?" Hikaru shared his sentiment.

"I guess so," Kyoya shot a quick, discreet wink at me, sending butterflies directly to my stomach, "I'm sure our attendance would slip if you two were out of commission for a while. And we can't have that. Lana, are you sure you'll be able to handle it?"

"I'm clean, Kyoya," I told, "I'm sure I can manage."

He knew. He understood completely what that meant. The others looked at me like I was on drugs, but Kyoya understood. Mori knew, too. I hadn't marred my skin in any way, shape, or form in a couple of months. I didn't want to break my streak.

"Alright," he let me go, "If they get to be too much…"

"I got it," I smiled, my heart radiating a warmth from the inside. It was so sweet when these boys worried over me. Unnecessary, but sweet.

"See you tomorrow!" the twins took each of my arms and practically dragged me out of the host club.

Dear God. When these boys had a mission, they really did take it seriously. And apparently, making me a princess was their mission. I wasn't really sure what that was going to entail, but I guess I was saying yes to life. I did say I was ready for anything today. I didn't know that the anything was going to be an afternoon with the Hitachiin twins.

They dragged me into the back of a limo and we left Ouran in the rearview mirror. It's alright, Lana. It's not like they're taking you to your death. With that little overprotective sneer Kyoya gave them, I'm sure they wouldn't dare hurting me. And I'm almost positive that Mori would be the one doing the execution. Something tells me he could seriously hold his own in a fight. And the twins would be bugs on a windshield.

"Uh, guys?" I watched out my window as the giant buildings passed by, "Is this Shibuya?"

"Sure is," Hikaru chirped.

"We were thinking Omotesando*," Kaoru admitted, "But we opted against it."

"Shibuya's a better fit," Hikaru assumed.

Shibuya was usually pretty busy this time of day. Everyone's gotten out of school. Students lined the streets. Night classes wouldn't start for another few hours. And everyone would tend to congregate here. It was kind of like a diner I went to back in the States after school. I had a regular booth that I'd sit and drink my lemonade in with an open sketchbook. But the thing about Shibuya? It was just like my diner…only bigger. And louder.

Say yes to life, Lana. You'll be alright. Besides, remember the nonverbal death threat Kyoya gave Hikaru and Kaoru before we left? And Mori only had to make a slight noise. Kind of nice to have the brains and the brawn of the host club backing me. This was going to be a rare good day, wasn't it? Granted, I was still careful, but let's call it being cautiously optimistic.

The twins took me everywhere. Honestly, I kind of just wanted to return to those good old days of my corner booth, my lemonade, and my sketchbook. But when I say we went everywhere, I mean we went everywhere. Shops, salons, and I wasn't allowed to pick anything. Or pay for anything. Anytime I tried to take out any sort of money, whether it be the little bit of cash I carry or my debit card, they'd yell at me. At one point, Hikaru took my wallet from me and tucked it into the inner pocket of his uniform blazer.

"You guys," I stopped them, my fingers a soft shade of rose with little rhinestones toward my cuticles like something out of a magical girl anime, "This is too much."

"Lana," Hikaru scolded me lightly.

"We have credit cards for this kind of thing," Kaoru justified.

"It's not a problem!" they chimed together.

"If we want to spoil you," Hikaru said.

"We will," Kaoru finished his brother's sentence. That was definitely something I'll never get used to.

I just shook my head, rolled my eyes, and went with it, "Fine. I guess I'll just have to live with it, won't I?"

"Welcome to the program!" the twins harmonized, dragging me into another shop. This one looked a lot more upscale than the others we've been in. I wasn't allowed to look around. I had to stay locked in a dressing room until one or both of them came back. And usually, they'd have armfuls. If I were shopping by myself, I'd never dream of even looking at some of these things.

I didn't have the body for half of this. I had boobs that gave me back problems and too much chub to be putting it in freaking crop tops, you morons! That's just wonderful. I needed more shirt. And more skirt. I couldn't do miniskirts, either! My thighs were massive. If I wasn't careful, I could knock over a small child just by walking next to them.

Dammit…There it is. There's the other shoe. I felt my stomach knot up and here it comes. My inevitable breakdown. Fantastic. Just what I wanted today. I was doing so well, but heaven forbid, if Lana has a good day. I put my back against the mirror to keep myself from seeing the disgusting pig staring back at me. One day. Just ONE. I want to be able to go into a dressing room and NOT have this problem.

"Lana?" a pair of voices broke my light sobs, "Are you ok?"

"No," I snarled, "Go away!"

"Lana…" only one voice on the other side of the door, "It's Kaoru. Please. Will you let me in?"

"No," I softened a little, "Go away."

"I'm going to go get her some water," Hikaru excused himself.

"Ok," Kaoru let his brother go, "Please, Lana. Talk to me."

"No," I swallowed back anymore tears trying to force their way up my throat, "Just go, Kaoru…"

"I don't want to," his hand slipped under the door, taking mine, "You don't have to talk, but I'm not going anywhere."

"I'd rather you did," my breathing started to even out a little, "I can get through this by myself. It wouldn't be the first time. Probably won't be the last."

"You shouldn't have to do this alone," Kaoru ran his thumb over mine, "I've always had my brother, so I've never had to deal with being alone. I'd always have him. No matter what happened. I'd always have Hikaru around. We've never relied on anyone else. I can't imagine the kind of hell that's raging through your head right now, Lana, but it's completely unnecessary. And if you want to talk about it, I'm sure either one of us would be more than happy to listen."

The suck part about being me when I'm upset? Whenever someone tries to make it better, it only makes me worse. And the burden was definitely becoming too much for me to bear on my own. I didn't care that I was practically half naked at this point in nothing but my underwear and my cardigan. I cracked the door to my dressing room, letting Kaoru in, and bawled in his shoulder for a little while. I remembered back to my time in the hospital when they would force THC pills down my throat to increase my appetite. At least those made me feel a nice, calm buzz for a while.

"Body dysmorphia sucks," I hiccupped, coming down a little more, "I don't like mirrors for that very reason. I've always been teased relentlessly about my appearance and I always took their comments to heart. That's why I can never take a compliment without thinking that they're lying to me as a sick, twisted joke."

"It's not your fault," Kaoru assured, cradling me in his arms, "They're blinded by how stunning you really are."

"That's right," Hikaru rolled a bottle of water under the door, "That was kind of the objective of today, Lana. We've been meaning to do it for a while now. We didn't mean for it to turn into this."

"It was kind of working," I admitted, taking a good, healthy drink, "This was strangely fun. Until this happened."

"Even when I took your wallet?" Hikaru teased.

"Yes," I giggled a little, "Even when you took my wallet. I'm sorry I put you guys through this. You shouldn't have to either see me like this or be the ones to put me back together."

"That's what we're here for," Kaoru promised.

"If you ever need us, Lana," Hikaru comforted, "Say something."

"We'll be by your side whenever you need it," Kaoru kissed the top of my head, "I'm going to let you get changed and we'll go, ok?"

"Ok," I smiled a little, letting Kaoru out, "Thanks, boys."

"No problem!" they chimed.

I was left in my dressing room with nothing but my thoughts. Any other day, that thought would've been pure terror. But the twins made it all better. I finished the rest of my water and put my uniform back on. The twins were sweet enough to get me ice cream on the way back to my house. If anything could make me feel better, it was the cold sweetness that ice cream was. And the massive sandwich hug I got from the twins before I went home.

 **A/N: To my lovely guest comment from yesterday (?), yes! You were, in fact, right! You clever, clever bean, you. A date with the Hitachiin boys makes the world a better place. I had some people in my comments section saying how much Hikaru and Kaoru were their favorite hosts, so why not? Why not let these two make you feel a little more body positive? And I love these boys like you wouldn't believe. They're so adorable. My little anime Fred and George Weasley…But that's here nor there. Anyway, I'll see you guys tomorrow and I'll see you next chapter. xx**

 ***Omotesando: A district in Tokyo known for upscale shopping, fashion, and design.**


	8. The Prince in His Element

**A/N: Here we are. Day three. There's only one host we haven't been on a successful date yet. We've had chapters where he was kind of the main focus as far as hosts go, but never have we had a date. But just you wait, kids. I'll see you at the end for book club. Enjoy!**

After what had happened yesterday, I was still pretty drained. Most of my classes were napped through for at least ten minutes each. I loved hanging out with the twins yesterday with the exception of my breakdown, but it wore me out. I almost didn't bother with the host club, but I had a feeling that if I didn't show up in one piece, the resident yakuza boss would have his muscle tear those two limb from limb.

When I opened the door to the music room, it looked pretty dead in here. Haruhi was setting up tables. The boys were going over the club itinerary. I poked my head in, "Hey, guys. Am I too early to come in?"

"Of course not, Lana," Tamaki allowed, "You're more than welcome to come in anytime. Before opening, after closing. Our music room is your music room. How are you today?"

"Fine," I winced as I was unwillingly subjected to a bone crushing hug.

"Those two shady twins weren't too hard on my little princess," Tamaki push my hair out of my face, "Were they?"

"Who are you calling shady, boss?" Hikaru pouted.

"We were nothing but good to her," Kaoru whined.

"They were," I assured, catching Kyoya out of the corner of my eye, listening intently, deciding whether or not the twins lived or "disappeared". I knew that once he looked away, their fate was sealed. They'd live to see another day, "I'm just tired. An afternoon nap would be amazing if I could sleep."

"Here," Tamaki led me to a daybed, tucked away from the rest of the club, "If you'd like, you could do just that."

"Why is there a bed in here?" I wondered.

"It's usually for Honey-senpai's afternoon nap," he explained, taking a pair of headphones out of his bag.

"You don't have to do this, Tamaki," I brushed him off, "I'm sure if I down a couple of energy drinks, I'll be fine."

"Caffeine and sleep aren't the same thing," Tamaki put the headphones on me, "These are noise canceling, so you won't be bothered by any guests we have in here today. I'll put some music on and you can get some well-deserved rest, ok?"

"Thank you," I surrendered to his hospitality.

"You're welcome," he smiled sweetly, "Good night, Lana."

"Good night," I yawned a little.

"See?" Tamaki smirked, "I knew you'd be able to sleep…"

"Shut up," I giggled a bit, making myself comfortable. This was kind of nice. This bed was more comfortable than the one I actually slept in and it was only meant for Honey's afternoon naps. Only complemented by the soft, soothing piano playing in my ear. Bless you, Tamaki Suoh. At this point, you were my hero.

I forgot how good solid sleep felt. It seemed like ages since I last had it. And everything was so quiet. Either these headphones really were noise canceling or the host club was dead today. The girls were usually pretty squeaky when they came in here. Either way, I could get a decent nap in. And I was loving it.

In between songs, I could hear voices.

"So," Hikaru asked, "Who wants to be the one to do it?"

Do what?

"Lana-chan looks so cute when she's sleeping," Honey chimed with an agreeing grunt from Mori.

"Something tells me sleep doesn't come easy for her," Kyoya figured. Hey! I took a little offense to that. I mean, he's right, but does it really show that much? Then again, he knows the signs. Oh, the benefits and the detriments of having someone else that's been through the system.

"We can't just leave her here," Kaoru said.

"I'll do it," Tamaki took the bullet, "You guys go home. I'll take care of Lana. Besides, she and I have a prior engagement."

We did? I didn't remember ever making plans with Tamaki. I thought over every little detail of the past couple weeks to try and figure out whatever the hell Tamaki was talking about. Did he even know or was this just an excuse to get them out quicker?

"So, you're finally putting the moves on Lana, huh, boss?" Kaoru teased, "Can't really blame you."

"I'm not putting the moves on her!" Tamaki snapped, "Now, go home. I'll take care of her."

"No means no, senpai," Haruhi reminded, jumping on the bandwagon.

"I know no means no," he pouted, "See you tomorrow, guys."

"Bye!"

I heard the doors shut behind everyone and felt Tamaki sit on the bed with me. he lifted me to his lap and almost instinctively, I snuggled into him, "Lana, everyone's gone home. Don't you think it's time you do, too?"

Slowly, I opened my eyes, staring back at him, "Hi."

"Good morning," he smiled, "Sleep ok?"

"Oddly enough," I sat up a little better, "I really appreciate this, Tamaki."

"It's nothing," he played the modest card, "Hey, are you busy tonight?"

"No…" I thought it over for a minute, "Why?"

"Remember what you asked me?" Tamaki helped me up, "About a week ago?"

"My memory's a little fuzzy," I rubbed my eyes, "What did I ask you again?"

"Come on," he took my hand, "We're going back to my place. If that's alright with you."

"Fine," I brushed him off. Tamaki gave me my bag and we headed out for the day. Wow. The school was so eerie at six o'clock. The sun was setting. The normally bustling halls were dead silent. Eerie. But peaceful.

When we pulled up to Tamaki's house, I wasn't really sure what to expect. But then again, I wasn't surprised that it was a giant mansion on the outskirts of town. He grabbed my door and led me inside. My God, these damn rich people knew how to live. Every inch of this place managed to let off such a beautiful glow.

"This way," Tamaki pulled me around the back of the staircase and into a long hallway that seemed to stretch for an eternity. At the end was a door with an antique looking lock on it. Tamaki pulled a heavy skeleton key out of his pocket and unlocked what I would've thought, for sure, was going to be Narnia. It looked like an empty ballroom. The only piece of furniture in here was a shiny black piano.

"That's right," it all started coming back to me.

"You remember now?" Tamaki lit up, "You asked me for lessons last week. Why not start now?"

 _Ring, ring._

"Because I need to get this," I took my phone out of my pocket to see the name Rhiannon on my phone screen, "Hey, Rhi."

"Rhi?" Tamaki wondered, giving me a look.

"Hey, Lana," Rhiannon chimed, "How you doing, sweetie?"

I took to a more secluded corner of the room. I knew that whenever Rhiannon asked me how I was, she wanted an honest answer. Tamaki didn't need to hear about my scrambled little noggin, "I've been better, but I'm making some serious progress. My doctors would be so proud."

"What kind of proud?" she asked, "Like just graduated college proud or father and son moment at the son's wedding proud?"

"Little kid learning to use the potty proud," I compared.

"Look at you go!" Rhiannon praised, "Japan's doing wonders for you, isn't it?"

"Oh, yeah," I nodded, "Definitely. What time is it? It's got to be five in the morning where you are."

"It is five in the morning," she confirmed, "I just woke up."

"What are you up so early for?" I scoffed, "I thought you didn't have to be at work until noon."

"I don't," Rhiannon yawned, "But I recently took up running to kick the whole smoking habit. Nothing like Central Park at daybreak. Besides, getting to see the walks of shame in the morning is becoming a favorite pastime."

"I pray for you," I rolled my eyes.

"Someone has to," she chuckled, "I'll call you on my lunch break, ok, kid? It's about to reach peak hipster hours and I don't want to miss that. You need me for anything?"

"No," I assured, "I'm good, Rhi. I promise."

"That's my girl," she squeaked, "I love you, Lana."

"Love you, too."

 _Click._

"Who was that?" Tamaki asked, naturally curious.

"That," I threw my phone in my bag, "was my sister. Checking in."

"It's six o'clock at night and she's just waking up?"

"It's 5AM her time," I clarified, "She lives in New York City. We're thirteen hours ahead. And by the time I wake up for school tomorrow, she'll be calling me again."

"Are you close?" he wondered.

"She's my best friend," I told, "Rhiannon's got fifteen years on me. My mom thought she couldn't have anymore kids after her, but little did she know, I'd come along. And here I am. I miss her terribly."

"I bet you do," Tamaki took me over to the piano, "Will you play with me, Lana? I promise you it won't be anything overly extravagant or difficult to follow along with."

"Tamaki…"

"No," he stopped me, "I won't hear it. Just follow me."

"Alright," I caved as Tamaki started playing a soft melody that I could've sworn I had heard before with me joining in shortly after. I knew I had. I just couldn't put my finger on it. But then, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew EXACTLY where I had heard that before, "This is what I fell asleep to, isn't it?"

"It's exactly what you fell asleep to," Tamaki confirmed, "I've been working on it for a while now. What you heard was, essentially, a rough draft."

"That's you?" I gasped, the music stopping, "Tamaki, it's beautiful."

"Thank you," he pulled me back to my feet and turned something on from an mp3 player, "This one's a favorite, too."

Another beautiful piano piece started playing over the surround sound speakers. This one a little more haunting than the last. His left hand took my right and his arm went around my waist. This went from a simple piano lesson to a dance lesson very quickly. It started so sweetly and so innocent. Just simple spinning around the room like something out of a Disney movie. Until Tamaki kept pulling me closer. And closer. Until we were in a full embrace.

"I'm sorry," I pushed off him, "I think I should go."

"What is it?" he worried, "Is everything ok?"

"You're expecting something from me, aren't you?" I came right out with it.

"What?" Tamaki looked confused, just like I would've suspected, "No. Not at all."

"You're sweet, Tamaki," I grabbed my bag, "But I've dealt with guys like you before. They're a dime a dozen where I come from. They're all nice and sweet and caring until they get you alone. That's when that guy disappears and he's replaced by some jackass that thinks you owe him for being the sweet guy. I've been through this and it always ends in someone getting hurt. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Lana," Tamaki stopped me, "Why would I do something like that? You should know by now that I wouldn't dare."

"Why else would you have brought me here?" my voice took a slightly more hostile tone.

"I promise you," he swore, "I'm not looking for anything like that. I like you, Lana. I honestly care about you because I'm a decent human being, if Kyoya and Mori striking fear into everyone at the club over you didn't do that enough...I'd never do anything you're not comfortable with. I swear on my life that I wouldn't."

"You sound like all the rest…"

"But I'm not the rest," Tamaki assured, "No, Lana. I wouldn't dream it. You've practically become family at the host club. That'd just be wrong. I only have eyes for one woman in this world and I'm sorry to break your heart here, but it's not you. If you're still wanting to leave, I understand, but let me take you home."

I looked deep into Tamaki's eyes. There was genuine hurt there. Like I insulted his mother while kicking his dog. Maybe he wasn't like the others. Maybe that was just my luck back in the US. I nuzzled my face into Tamaki's shoulder, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lump you in with everyone else. You definitely are something else. That's for sure. I still want to go home, but that's because it's getting late and I'm still pretty beat."

"Let me take you back," he insisted, "It's the least I can do for putting you through this."

"Ok," I took his hand, "I didn't mean for this to get so out of hand. It just happens, you know?"

"I know," Tamaki gently kissed the top of my head and got the limo door for me, "It's alright. You're safe. You're in one piece. I won't be dismantled at the hands of Mori-senpai. Get some rest and we can try this again some other time."

"I really am sorry, Tamaki," I apologized all over myself, "I will take you up on that lesson again someday."

"Take care of yourself, Lana," he gave me a little reassuring smile as we pulled up to my building, "I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

"Ok," I waved him off and went into my simple little apartment. Home sweet home. I felt like such a bitch for doing that to Tamaki. I didn't ever want anyone from the club to ever see that from me. Not after everything they've done for me.

They never expected or wanted anything in return. I had seen in Kyoya's notebook. I knew that the host club charged their guests a membership fee. I had even seen Haruhi's name in it with a debt of eight million yen for some strange reason. But it was ten thousand yen just to walk through the doors. I never paid a single penny. I wonder why…

 **A/N: I know why. Because they don't have the heart to ask a commoner for money. That's why Haruhi's repaying her eight-million-yen debt as a host instead of using cash. Also, can we take a minute to appreciate how protective Mori and Kyoya are of her? I find that rather heartwarming. And the fact that they've gone and struck the other hosts with the fear of God when it comes to her? I, for one, find that adorable. And signs that Kyoya isn't really a robot sent to take over the world. If his chapter didn't already prove that point.**

 **Now, we've been on a date with every host, each one with their own road bump. I have just one question for all of you. Who are we shipping here? The obvious twincest aside, give me your ships. Who is your host OTP as far as our friend Lana is concerned? You have one of Cupid's arrows and you can only shoot it at one host to make them hopelessly fall in love with her. Who are you shooting? See you next chapter! xx**


	9. Weekend at Haruhi's

**A/N: One more day, guys. One more day.**

 _Ring, ring._

Ughhh…

 _Ring, ring._

Mmmm…!

 _Ring, ring._

I yanked my phone out of the wall, "WHAT?"

"Jesus, cranky pants," the other end cringed, "Was that necessary?"

"Sorry, Rhi," I apologized, still half asleep. She did say she'd call on her lunch break.

"Rough night?" her mom voice came out.

"Kind of," I sat up, "I didn't think you were serious when you said you'd call. Slow day at the shop?"

"You know how Carlos is," Rhiannon scoffed, "He's a total teddy bear when it comes to me. And I've had a steady stream of clients all day."

"Never met Carlos a day in my life," I let out a massive yawn, "And maybe one day, you'll see a familiar face as one of your clients."

"What's this?" Rhiannon gave an over exaggerated gasp, "Lana Mae, are you thinking about FINALLY letting your big sister do a little something, something for you?"

"I just said a familiar face," I groaned, going into my bathroom, "Where did you get me from any of that?"

"You're a familiar face," she pointed out.

"I'd have to talk to the doctor first," I burst her bubble, "Make sure I'm not doing it for all the wrong reasons."

"Just for the pain, right?" Rhiannon assumed, "Make sure it's not going to be a trigger?"

"You know me all too well, my dear sister," I turned my shower on.

"Are you sure you'd want to do this, Lana?" she worried, "Tattoos are a lifelong commitment. Unless you get laser removal. Which is more painful than getting one in the first place. Trust me. That's personal experience. It's hell."

"Again," I put my phone in a sandwich bag and got in the hot cascading water, "I never said it was me."

"Never said it wasn't you," she poked, "Hold on. Are you talking to me in the shower again?"

"I have school today," I reminded, "I need to get ready."

"You're so weird," Rhiannon teased, "But I wouldn't have you any other way."

"I know, Rhi."

"So, back to your little something, something," I rolled my eyes, "What were we thinking? I'd love to get a head start on it."

"I'll let you know when I think of it."

"I knew it!" she squealed, "I knew you were the familiar face! Should I call your doctor now or do you want to do it?"

"Rhiannon," I shook my head, "You're too much. I hope you know that."

"I'm a hot ass mess!" my sister chimed, "I have to go, sweetie. Have a good day at school. Make good choices. I love you!"

"I hate you," I giggled.

"No, you don't!" she sang.

 _Click._

My sister was a giant dork and I wouldn't trade her for the world. I finished my shower, put my uniform on, grabbed my bag and took off. I would've killed a man for a cup of coffee, but I'd have to suffer. Maybe short naps during class again. But then, I'd get yelled at and I couldn't handle that today. I just couldn't. Just had to get through today. I get through today and the weekend would be all mine. I needed to do laundry and a little bit of shopping, but other than that, I was free to sit around my house in my underwear to do what I please.

But I couldn't leave my boys of the host club like that. Despite my minor break at Tamaki's, I needed my boys. Always needed my boys. I opened the door to the host club and found the boys in their usual positions. Only difference between today and any other day was the long tables all over the place. And the random objects next to them. I missed out yesterday. What the hell happened in here?

"Gentlemen," I walked in like I owned the place.

"Lana!" the twins sandwiched me.

"We missed you!" Hikaru sang.

"It feels like ages since we last saw you!" Kaoru shared his sentiment.

"I just saw you yesterday," I choked out, feeling suffocated, "Could you two get off me?"

"Sorry," they apologized, letting me go.

"So, boss," Hikaru asked, "What happened after we left yesterday?"

"Yeah," Kaoru joined him, "We went by Lana's house around seven and no one was there."

"I went to Tamaki's," I explained. Both Mori and Kyoya's heads snapped in our direction.

"What were you doing at Tama-chan's house?" Honey sat in my lap.

"Yeah, Tamaki…" Kyoya growled, "What was Lana doing at your house?"

"He was giving me a piano lesson," I settled, "I only got a little uncomfortable once."

"Tamaki…" a dark shadow started emanating around Kyoya, "What did you do?"

"The boss is a pervert!" the twins sang in unison.

"Tamaki…"

"I overthought, Kyoya," I broke through his shadow, "Tamaki didn't do anything. It was actually my fault."

Kyoya and Mori backed off from Tamaki, who I was pretty sure was actually petrified. I loved that they were so protective of me, but I didn't want to be the reason why they turn against each other. I didn't want the family to fall apart. I was really starting to like it here.

"Hey, Lana," Haruhi called to me, "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"God, yes," I left the boys to fight it out while I had tea with the only logical one amongst them at the moment, "How do you do it, Haruhi?"

"Practice and the patience of a saint," she chuckled, "And what do you mean, how do I do it? You've done it, too."

"I have?" I gave her a look.

"You've been out with every single host this week," Haruhi pointed out, "And you lived to tell the tale."

"I know," I fell to the couch, "I'm exhausted. But I have to admit, it has been kind of nice."

"Tell you what," she suggested, keeping her voice down, "Why don't you come stay with me tonight? It'd give us a chance to have a break from these weirdos. And besides, we can get an early start at the flea market without interruption this time."

"Sure," I agreed, "But why are you…"

"Did I hear right?" Tamaki made a beeline for us, "A slumber party at Haruhi's house? The very pinnacle of female bonding?"

"No, senpai," Haruhi shot him down.

"But I just heard…"

"No."

"…But…"

"No," Haruhi glared into Tamaki's soul.

"Fine," he went off to pout and tend to his mushrooms in a corner.

"What was that all about?" I wondered.

"He's exhausting," she sighed out.

"You don't say…"

I really felt for her. Before I came along, Haruhi had to deal with all of them on her own. She had more intestinal fortitude than I did, that's for sure. As soon as the host club closed up for the day, Haruhi and I walked back to her house, leaving her flying monkeys behind. Everyone says that Tamaki runs the host club. The members of the host club say Kyoya's the real person that runs the host club. But for those of us that lurk in the dark? I'm sure we all know who really runs the host club.

"Dad!" Haruhi called out, "I'm home!"

"Looks like no one's home," I assumed.

"He probably went to work already," she figured, "Looks like you won't get to meet my dad yet. At least I can prepare you for that. I wish I could've done that for the club when they came over the first time."

"What do you mean, prepare me?" I wondered.

"My dad tends to favor women's clothing," Haruhi threw her bag in her bedroom.

"I don't judge," I brushed it off, "It's his life. Who am I to say how he lives it?"

"Hey, Lana," she put a kettle on the stove, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, Haruhi," I sat at the table, "Shoot."

"It's just that," she began, "You've been with every single host this week. Forgive me if I'm overstepping my boundaries here, but who's your favorite? You must have one by now."

"I don't know," I shrugged, "They all have their merits. Like when I was with Tamaki last night. Despite the fact that the instances of it actually happening are far and few in between, chivalry isn't dead. Being with the twins the day before? They're the best pair of brothers I never had. Granted, I have my older sister, but she's all the way in New York. Honey and Mori feel like my own personal guard dogs I could sic on anyone at any time. Especially Mori. He always seems like he's ready to kill a man for me with his bare hands."

"Mori-senpai could probably kill someone with his bare hands," Haruhi agreed, "Honey-senpai, too."

"Honey?" I gasped, "Sweet, adorable, little Honey? Third year that takes afternoon naps and has a wicked sugar addiction, Honey? Are you sure we're talking about the same person?"

"Any other time, he wouldn't hurt a fly," she elaborated, "But if he's properly provoked, Honey-senpai could bring down regimes if he wanted to."

"I never would've guessed," I giggled a bit, "He seems like a constant stream of sunshine and rainbows."

"And what about Kyoya-senpai?" Haruhi asked.

"Kyoya…" I sighed out, "Kyoya and I understand each other in a way that no one else can. Let's just leave it at that. He confided something in me the other day and I'll be damned if I let out someone else's secret. Especially as monumental as this."

"He is yakuza, isn't he?" she joked.

"No," I shook my head, "Kyoya's not yakuza. But I guess all the hosts have their own strong suits. I couldn't pick a favorite. What about you, Haruhi? I bet you have a favorite and I could easily guess who it is."

"I don't have a favorite," she assured, "All of them are my friends. There's nothing more to that."

"But I think you do," I smiled, "You're just not admitting it to yourself. It's Tamaki, isn't it?"

"What?" Haruhi turned bright red, "No way! Senpai's lucky his head's attached and you think he's my favorite host?"

"It's in your personality makeup," I explained, "You need someone to take care of. When you have that, you're happy. You're content. You're satisfied. Why do you think we became such quick friends?"

"But Tamaki-senpai…?" she whined, "Of all people?"

"I think so," I nodded, "I'm not blind. It's all over your face."

"You're crazy."

"Depends on which doctor you talk to."

"Me and Tamaki-senpai?" Haruhi scoffed, "Not happening."

"Why are you getting so defensive then?" I was starting to turn into my sister and that thought scared the hell out of me.

"I'm not defensive!" the blush in her cheeks deepened.

"Thank you for proving my point."

"Lana!" she squeaked, finally caving, "I guess he's not all bad."

"Oh?"

"What Senpai and I have isn't exactly the most orthodox relationship," Haruhi began her confession, "I know he's hopeless for me. That's obvious to anyone that knows us. And he has been since day one. I don't think we could ever be a couple, though."

"Why not?" I wondered, feeling Haruhi's heartbreak.

"That'd almost be like host club inbreeding," she giggled, "Hikaru and Kaoru are enough."

"Tamaki has to graduate sometime," I pointed out, "Then, it wouldn't be host club inbreeding anymore."

"Maybe," Haruhi rested her head on the table.

"Come on, Haruhi," I begged, "Throw him a bone. He stopped making advances on me yesterday because he could only think of you."

"Really…?" she looked up from the corner of her eye.

"Please?" I chimed, "I know it would make him happy. And I know it would make you happy, too."

"Maybe one day," she pacified me.

 _Thud._

"What in the world…?" Haruhi jumped up to her feet and looked out the front door, "Huh…"

"What was that?" I asked, starting to feel my stomach turn.

"I don't know," she shut the door and sat back down, "I have a feeling that we might have some pests, but I'm sure it's nothing."

This was nice. Out of all the hosts, I had to say I liked hanging out with Haruhi the most. Less stressful. Then again, if I was stressed with Honey and Mori, I could eat it away with obscene amounts of chocolate cake, but it was nice to have a girl friend like this. I never really had one before. I was always the weird kid that kept to herself, but something told me that Haruhi and I were kindred spirits in that respect.

 **A/N: I love that Lana and Haruhi are best friends. That makes me so happy. And Haruhi has the girl friend that Tamaki always wanted for her. *Sigh* All my TamaHaru dreams are coming true. Now, as far as the shipping goes, there's been an overwhelming response for either Mori or Kyoya. Can't really blame you. I'm kind of feeling both of them. And to my clever bean of a guest, I'm one of the weirdest people you'll ever meet. That was nothing but a compliment and I reward you with one high five. I'll see you next chapter, guys! xx**


	10. Weekend at Haruhi's Pt 2

**A/N: I'M SO SORRY IT'S UP SO LATE! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I PROMISE IT'S A GOOD CHAPTER! I HAVEN'T BEEN HOME ALL DAY, SO I COULDN'T WORK ON IT! PLEASE LOVE ME OR I SHALL COMMIT SEPPUKU!**

Waking up to a minor panic attack is truly the best way to start the morning. Always a sign of a good day. Especially when it's somewhere I've never been before and I'm wondering where the hell I am. Haruhi's. That's right. I stayed at Haruhi's last night. Everything's ok. You're alright, Lana.

"Good morning, Lana," Haruhi sang.

"Morning," I rubbed my eyes, "Hey, before we go to the flea market, you think we can stop by my place first? I need my breakfast."

"Breakfast?" she gave me a look, "I'm sure we can grab something from the café on the way there."

"Not my kind of breakfast," I chuckled, "My breakfast comes from a trip to a pharmacy once every couple months. That's breakfast for me."

"Sure," Haruhi nodded, "That's fine with me. By the way, your phone was going ballistic earlier."

"Oh?" I pulled my phone out of the wall, "What's today, Saturday?"

"All day."

I looked down at the screen and just rolled my eyes. I love you, Rhiannon, but some days, I want to get on a plane, fly into JFK, go to the deli under your apartment, buy a giant salami, and beat you with it. It was her Friday night. She was off work. She was thirsty.

 _I miss you._

 _What are you doing?_

 _There's a hot piece of ass here. Should I go talk to him?_

 _Lanaaaa!_

 _Stop sleeping, you jerk. :P_

 _He's a six in the right light. Give me another couple drinks and he'll be a ten in no time._

 _He's ignoring me. Why is he ignoring me? Get back here, you asshole, and love me!_

 _Are you still sleeping?_

 _HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, HE'S BRITISH._

 _Is this what you dealt with every day?_

 _Going back to his place. Don't wait up. ;)_

"Oh, God," I rolled my eyes in disgust.

"Everything alright?" Haruhi worried.

"My sister's drunk texts," I grumbled, "She started early. I love her, but I need to hit her."

"Haruhi!" a voice sang from the front door, "I'm home!"

"Hi, Dad," she grabbed her bag, "How was work?"

"Same old, same old," he pacified. I caught a glimpse of him. Haruhi wasn't lying. Her dad wore a long, bright purple maxi skirt and a bright white blouse. I was kind of jealous. If I wore girlier cloths, I'd be half tempted to steal it. Instead, I stole his attention, "Hello. Who's this?"

"Dad, this is Lana," Haruhi introduced me, "She's a new guest at the host club. Be nice."

"So, you're the one Kyoya told me about," he looked me over, "You're cute. That's for sure. My name is Ryoji, but you can call me Ranka."

"Pleasure," I smiled politely, pushing through the fact that my heart was racing a million miles a minute. I needed to get back to my house and I needed to get back now. My medication has completely worn off and I was starting to feel the potential for a panic attack rising in the pit of my stomach.

"No need to be shy around here, sweetheart," he assured, "What do you girls have planned for today?"

"The flea market's calling for us," Haruhi took over, noticing my apprehension, "You want anything while we're out?"

"No, thanks," Ranka brushed her off, kicking his heels off at the door, "I'm going to go get some sleep."

"We'll be back soon!" Haruhi grabbed the door and I followed her out.

"Be careful!" Ranka warned, "It was nice meeting you, Lana!"

"So, how do we get to your house from here?" Haruhi and I skipped down the steps.

"It's not that far really," I calculated, "Two blocks down, one block over."

"Small world, I guess," she giggled to herself.

"Hey," I caught something out of the corner of my eye in the bushes, "What's this?"

I dug a little deeper and picked a smartphone out of the bush. Haruhi looked at it just as puzzled as I was, "Someone's cellphone?"

I turned the screen on and found a picture on the lock screen of Haruhi and Tamaki in the music room. I showed it to her, "Is it yours?"

"No," she rolled her eyes, "That's Senpai's phone. What would it be doing…?"

My new best friend went completely silent and her face went blank. I wasn't sure if she was going to snap and kill us all or just one, "Haruhi…?"

"Remember that thud we heard last night?" she growled.

"Yeah?"

"I think I know what it was," Haruhi turned slightly hostile, "And I'm going to kill him. Call the first number in the emergency contacts."

"Ok," I still had no idea what was going on, but I did as she asked out of fear for my life and the two of us continued our trek to my house.

"Tamaki?" the other end barked at me, "What is it?"

"Kyoya?"

"Lana?" he shared in our confusion, "What are you doing with Tamaki's phone?"

"I found it in the bushes outside Haruhi's house," I explained.

"Where are you?" Kyoya let out a heavy, exasperated sigh.

"Haruhi and I are almost to my apartment," I told, "Then, we're going to the flea market."

"I'll meet you there," he grumbled.

"See you soon."

 _Click._

"So?" Haruhi asked.

"We're meeting up with Kyoya once we get to the market," I said, climbing up my own set of stairs.

"Really?" she chirped, "Kyoya hates these things."

"He said he'd meet us there," I fumbled around for my keys and pushed my door open, "It's not much. Don't be too critical."

"I won't," Haruhi sat on my couch, "Is it just you here?"

"Yep," I dropped my bag on the island and reached into my cabinet for my pill sorter, "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

"How many of those do you have?" she freaked, watching me dump out my breakfast for Saturday.

"I'm down to six," I counted, "Used to be up to eight, but my doctor knocked a couple of them off. They were just canceling the other ones out."

One by one, I put them in my mouth and downed them with one gulp. Haruhi let out a slight gasp, "Impressive."

"Unfortunately, years of practice," I grabbed my bag, "I should be ok now. Let's go."

Finally, the two of us made it to the flea market and I was ready to turn my phone off. Dealing with Rhiannon drunk today was not on the list of things to do. Then again, neither was finding Tamaki's phone in the bushes. I never would've pegged him as the stalker type. That very thought gave me serious chills.

"I can't believe you. I can't believe you were stalking them."

"I wasn't stalking. I was curious!"

"That doesn't give you the right to be creepy! Especially with her!"

"Do I detect a note of jealousy…?"

"No, you idiot. I'm pissed. You're getting your phone. You're apologizing. We're leaving."

"Should we break it up?" Haruhi wondered, eavesdropping just as much as I was.

"Probably," I agreed, "If we let it go on any longer, I'm afraid there'll be bloodshed."

"Good call."

"Hi, Kyoya," I pried him away from Tamaki, who was sulking by himself.

"Hello, Lana," Kyoya did a complete one-eighty. He went from the guy that was tearing his best friend a new one to the same Kyoya I knew, "I'm so sorry about all this."

"I'm over it for the most part," I assured, "Sure, it was pretty cringe worthy to think we were being watched, but it was better that it was someone we knew instead of some creepy pervert."

"Oh, no," Haruhi chimed in, "He's definitely the creepy pervert."

"Hey!" Tamaki whined.

"So now you speak?" Haruhi shot him a glare that practically turned him to stone.

"It's bad enough that Mommy's mad at me," he put his tail between his legs.

"Mommy?" I gave Kyoya a look.

"Yes," Kyoya confirmed, "Unfortunately, that's me. Tamaki…"

"I'm sorry for stalking you both," he apologized, sounding like a little kid that broke his mom's favorite vase.

"I'm sure you are," Haruhi dismissed him, giving Tamaki a decent swat upside his head, "You're forgiven. Don't do it again or we're calling Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai."

"And considering that Lana's involved," Kyoya smirked, "I'm sure that's more of a threat than you think."

"What do I have to do with it?" I wondered.

"Don't worry about it," he brushed me off, "Now, come on, Tamaki. We're leaving them alone now."

"But can't we stay?" Tamaki begged, "Just for a little while?"

"No," Kyoya put his foot down, "We're leaving."

"You know," I spoke softly, "I wouldn't really mind if you guys stuck around for a little while."

"Can we?" Tamaki's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

Kyoya held his face in his hand, "I guess. If it's not too much trouble. And you promise to _behave yourself._ "

"I swear!"

"Fine," he sighed, "We'll stay for a bit. If you were anyone else, Lana, I would've said no, so I hope you realize how significant this is."

"I do," I smiled, "Besides, I kind of wanted to talk to you anyway."

"Me?" he wondered as Haruhi was saddled with the burden of keeping an eye on the spastic puppy, "Why's that?

"You told Ranka about me?" I remembered Haruhi's father's words from this morning.

"We're trusted with his only daughter," Kyoya justified, "I tell him everything that happens with her. That includes when she happens to make a new female friend. So, you've met Haruhi's father…Thoughts?"

"He's sweet," I figured, "Dresses better than I do. Seems to worship the ground Haruhi walks on."

"Wouldn't you if she was the living embodiment of your late wife?" Kyoya asked, taking my hand.

"I guess so," I started turning a light shade of pink, "Is the fact that I'm becoming friends with his daughter and a new guest of the host club the only thing you've told him about me?"

"No one else needs to know about the rest," he said, knowing exactly what I was talking about, "He doesn't need to hear it from me. That's not my place to tell him."

"Thank you," I nuzzled into his shoulder, "And thank you for staying."

"Why did you want us to stay?"

"Because," I grinned, looking ahead to Tamaki and Haruhi searching the different vendors for just about anything, "I had an ulterior motive."

"Do tell," Kyoya listened intently.

"When I was at Tamaki's the other night," I began, "He told me that he'd never make moves on me because he's in love with someone else."

"Haruhi," he pieced together.

"Exactly," I nodded, "Forcing them two to interact a little more can't hurt, can it?"

"Welcome to the host club, Lana," Kyoya smiled, "You've officially joined everyone on the same page. Tamaki hasn't come out and told Haruhi he loves her quite yet, but you're right. A little push from both sides can't hurt."

"Come on," I wrapped myself around his arm, "How bad could this be?"

"A second date, perhaps?" he teased.

"Are you insinuating something, Kyoya?" I gasped.

"Not at all," he put his arm around me, "You said you wanted to look around, right?"

I didn't understand him in the least bit, yet I understood him perfectly at the same time. He drove me absolutely nuts, but I didn't want him to leave my side. He's been a complete enigma since I walked into the host club. Was this…? No. No, it couldn't be. It couldn't be _that._ There's no way. I'm too much of a head case for Kyoya to want someone like me…Right?

 **A/N: And there you have it, kids. The quickest I ever hammered out an Ouran chapter in the history of mankind. Again, I'm super, super sorry I posted this so late. It's been kind of a long day. And now, unfortunately, we have to say goodbye until the fifth of July. I will miss you all terribly. BUT! That means next week is Kuroshitsuji week. It'll be just like the good old days! Anyway, I'll see you next chapter. xx**


	11. Mommy and Me

**A/N: Hi, guys! Welcome back to our regularly scheduled programming! In the three weeks we've been gone, I've been in serious need of this story. If you remember, this story is as much as an outlet for me as it is a comfort fic for you guys (and remember, don't be shy in the inbox or the reviews. I take requests of all shapes and sizes if you need something specific.). So, how about we do a quick little recap of what happened during bomb week, yeah? If you're binging, go on to the story. If you're reading in real time, stick around.**

 **Wow…We're really reaching back here. So, we kicked off bomb week with a really heavy chapter of our first "date" with Kyoya. We learned some things about him that made our hearts hurt, but we also learned that he and Lana have more in common than she previously surmised. Kyoya, too, has spent some hospital time. Learning that was enough for Lana to get brave and show her scars. Kyoya couldn't judge. He had no room to.**

 **But! Not only did we have Kyoya taking us out, but Hikaru and Kaoru, my anime Weasley brothers, decided to be the little minxes they are. Little did they know, treating Lana like a princess was going to send her into a little bit of a spiral, unintentionally triggering her body dysmorphia. Those two took pretty good care of her, though. A little bounce on the knee, a little pop in the chin, a kiss on the head, and they sent her on her way. And THEN.**

 **THEN…Tamaki. Need I say more? Tamaki took Lana back to his house and gave her a piano lesson. That turned into a dance lesson. That turned into Lana freaking because Tamaki was being way too sweet for her comfort. But he assured her that he'd never hurt her or do anything she's uncomfortable with and there's only one woman for him. And it's not her. We all know that story, though.**

 **And that one woman knew how exhausted Lana probably was after spending her entire week with each host, so they closed their week out with a sleepover at Haruhi's house! And she did surprisingly well. I mean, she woke up with a panic attack, but it was unfamiliar surroundings. I can understand that. I've done that once or twice before. And she had a slew of drunk texts from her sister, but who hasn't had that? Anyway! They had heard a thud outside the night before and found said thud's phone in the bushes. Tamaki was curious as to what his little girls were up to. And Mommy wanted to club him. So, the four of them met back up at the flea market to give Tamaki his phone back and push him and Haruhi a little closer. Now, you're pretty much caught up! And this took me longer than what I thought it would…Enjoy!**

Kyoya and I broke away from Tamaki and Haruhi to give them some time to themselves while we went off to grab something to eat. I was starting to get nauseous from all of my medication on an empty stomach. After taking it for six years, I should know better by now. Kyoya took me into a restaurant as dark and mysterious as he was. He and I were seated in a quiet, secluded booth toward the back. On the plus side, we were so close to the kitchen, I could smell everything…And it smelled incredible. Sweet…herby...citrusy…I wanted all of it.

But what really caught my attention was Kyoya's inability to keep his eyes off me. He studied every single feature of my face carefully. At least twice. It was almost getting to the point where it borderlined on creepy.

"You know, Lana," he finally broke the silence, "If you don't mind me saying this, you're very striking in the low light."

"That's because you can hardly see me," I assumed.

"Oh, no," he assured, "It's possible for people to look horrible in the low light. However, you are not one of them."

"Thank you," I blushed at the compliment.

"Why don't we do this more?" Kyoya asked, "I rather enjoy your company."

"Because being in public more than I have to be is my own personal hell," I figured.

"You're ok when you're with me, aren't you?" he pointed out.

I thought it over for a moment. At the host club, I was always the calmest around Kyoya. In school, I always look forward to advanced biology after a bad day because I know Kyoya can make it better. Even after finding out Tamaki was stalking us, I settled right after hearing Kyoya's voice…

"Yeah," I smiled a little, "I guess I am. I'm not really sure why, though."

"I have a theory," Kyoya explained, "It's because we understand each other. We understand each other in a way that no one else will."

Kyoya took my hand under the table, holding it so delicately. And for a moment, my heart had completely stopped. Yet, I knew I was going to be ok, "Thank you, Kyoya."

"No need to thank me, Lana," he shot me a wink, "If I couldn't manage to help you in any way I could…Well, we all know how that goes."

"I guess so." I liked this. I actually enjoyed being out of my cozy apartment, spending time with another human being. It may not seem like much, but to someone like me, it was huge.

Ring, ring!

"That's not me," Kyoya checked his phone, "I already checked in with Tamaki and Haruhi. She's ready to kill him and he's clueless."

"It's me," I silenced my phone, "Not surprised about those two. I know I've only been around the host club for a couple months, but I think I know how everything works."

"Do you need to get that?" he asked.

"No," I put it back in my bag, "I can let it go to voice mail. If it's that important, I'm sure she'll leave me a nice little message."

"Alright," Kyoya played with my fingers, "So, where were we?"

"You being the human embodiment of my medication," I joked.

Ring, ring!

"Are you sure you don't need to get that?" he worried.

"I'm sure," I silenced my phone, yet again.

"So, I'm the human embodiment of your medication, huh?" Kyoya smirked, "Interesting…"

"I didn't mean it like that!" I brushed him off, "I'm just saying you're easy for me to-"

Ring, ring!

"Answer it," he insisted, "It's fine."

I'm going to kill her. I swiped my finger across my phone screen, "What, Rhi?"

"Hey, Lana," my sister chimed, "What the hell? Why weren't you answering your phone? I was starting to worry about you."

"I'm busy, Rhiannon," I groaned, "What do you want?"

"On a Saturday night?" she sounded skeptical, "How many seasons have you watched today?"

"None," I rolled my eyes, "I'm actually out of the house right now."

"We'll talk about that later," Rhiannon brushed me off, "Are you sitting down?"

"Yes."

"Have you taken your meds today?"

"Yes."

"Are you alone…?"

"What, Rhiannon?" I snapped at her. I know she's just looking out for me, but still.

"Just a heads up," she spoke calmly, trying not to trigger me, "Mom and Dad are coming soon…"

My entire body tensed up, "You or me?"

"You," she cringed, "They know you're going on break soon. They saw the opportunity."

"Super," I started shaking something terrible.

"You ok, sweetie?" Rhiannon worried.

I stayed perfectly quiet, trying to calm myself down. No. No, no, no. Not here. Not now. I'm going to be ok. I'm not going to spiral.

"Lana…?" Kyoya started to get nervous, too. His grip tightened, trying to steady me.

"I'm ok," I reassured both them and myself.

"Promise?" she asked, knowing damn well I was lying through my teeth.

"I'm ok, Rhi," I said flatly, "Thanks for the warning."

"Lana…"

"I'll call you later," I cut her off.

"Ok," she let it go, "Besides, I need to know about whoever I heard in the background. Sounded like someone of the male persuasion."

"Bye," I hung up with her rather abruptly.

"Lana…?" Kyoya never let go. He was just as worried about me as what Rhiannon was. And Rhiannon had worked herself into ulcers about me.

"We need to go," I barely spoke above a whisper, "Now."

"Are you alright?"

"Kyoya," my breathing sped up as the words stumbled out of my mouth, "I'm on the verge of a panic attack. I'd rather not do that in a public place."

"Alright," he did his best to keep himself calm to not freak me out any more than I already was.

The two of us left the restaurant and left Tamaki and Haruhi behind. I needed to get home. Fortunately, we were barely down the road from my apartment building. I fumbled around for my key and scratched up the lock. I could hardly keep my hands steady enough to get it in the lock.

Kyoya laid me onto my couch and attempted to calm me down. At this point, all I wanted was for my heart to not explode and for my parents to cancel. Just when I start to think I'm doing better, I'm really just backsliding. But what else is new?

Eventually, after twenty grueling minutes of sheer panic, I started to settle enough to actually speak. At least it wasn't as monumental as I thought it was. I rested my head on Kyoya's shoulder, "Thank you…"

"Do you need anything?" he asked.

"Just don't go," I begged.

"Don't worry, Lana," Kyoya assured, cradling me gently, "I'm not going anywhere. What did your sister tell you?"

"How did you know it was my sister?" I asked, immediately ignoring my own question. Of course, Kyoya knew it was my sister. From what Haruhi's told me, Kyoya knows all. No one knows how. He just does, "Whatever. My parents are planning a surprise visit. They'll be here soon. I don't like surprises, Kyoya."

"Shh…" he settled me, playing with my hair, "You'll be alright. If it gets to be too much for you to handle, you know we're all just a phone call away."

"I know…" I cuddled into him a little closer.

"As for right now," Kyoya went on, "I'll stay here as long as you need me to, ok?"

"Ok," I let out slow, even, heavy breaths, "Thank you, Kyoya. Really and truly. I appreciate this."

"It's no trouble," he assured, "Is there anything else you need or want me to get for you?"

"If it's not too much to ask," I requested, "Could you make me some tea?"

"Sure," Kyoya lowered me off his ribs and onto the arm of my couch, "Any kind in particular?"

"Peppermint," I said, "I still have a massive knot in my stomach that doesn't want to go away. I'm hoping that'll help."

"A good cup of tea and a novel thick enough to kill a man with, right?" he smiled at me, almost quoting me verbatim from my earlier days in the host club.

"Right…"

Kyoya went through my cabinets until he found my dirty little secret, "You have quite the assortment of tea, don't you, Lana?"

"It's a problem," I giggled a bit to myself, "I'm English and I like choices. Sue me."

"I thought you were American."

"I was born in America," I clarified, "But I've spent better years in England than I have in the US, so I claim that as home."

"I understand," Kyoya came back to me with a cup of hot peppermint tea, wrapping his arms around me, "You're going to be ok, Lana. I promise you that. And I will do everything and anything in my power to make sure of that."

"And you're sure you're not yakuza?" I teased, feeling my first sip go all the way to my toes.

"I'm not yakuza," he promised, "I may have power, but I don't have that kind of power."

I lost myself in Kyoya's embrace and at the bottom of my tea cup. I could've asked for a better way for it to happen, but I couldn't have asked for a better night. He and I sat in my living room, discussing weird life theories, better event planning for the host club, the people we couldn't stand in biology. It even got to the point where Kyoya took one of my various novels off my bookshelf. His voice rang in my ear, shaking me to my core. And I wanted to hear it on a loop. Nothing quite like Kyoya's voice with Nathaniel Hawthorne's words. Granted, I was a sucker for old English literature, but the Scarlet Letter every once in a while was a nice change of pace.

And my panic attack took more out of me than what I thought it did. I was completely drained. Before I knew it, I woke up in my bed in the clothes I wore yesterday and it was Sunday morning. Weird. I don't remember getting off the couch last night.

I shut my eyes for a minute, retracing my steps. But before I could even formulate a coherent thought, my phone started yelling at me. I didn't remember plugging that in either, "Hello?"

"Morning, sunshine," Rhiannon chirped on the other end, "Assuming it is morning there. It's damn near midnight here. I'm sure it's morning there."

"It's morning," I rubbed my eyes, "What's up?"

"Just calling to make sure you were doing ok," she assured, "I worry about you, sweetie. Especially when it comes to surprises like this. Mom and Dad don't realize the delicate little flower you are."

"You'd think two stints in the hospital and the years of therapy would've drove it home," I joked darkly, "No. I'm good, Rhi. You woke me up, you bitch."

"Well, excuse me," she giggled. I really did miss my sister, "Now, I have a question."

Of course she did, "What?"

"The dude from last night," she dug, "What's his story?"

"He's just a friend from school," I rolled my eyes.

"Is he?" Rhiannon pried, "You had a minor panic attack in front of him, hon. You don't do that with just anyone."

Correction: I had a major panic attack in front of him and he brought me down from it. I hated her investigative nature, "I know. What can I say? He has some sort of mystical power over me."

"Is it time we have the talk?" she squeaked, "Do we finally get to talk boys?"

"I don't know about him, though," I pulled my blankets over my head, "He's different."

"Is he cute?"

"Yeah," I confessed, "And his voice, Rhiannon…I could listen to him talk for hours."

"I could tell from last night," she agreed, "I only heard him say your name. and I needed to hear more. You get to have full on conversations with him, you lucky girl."

"We're not dating, Rhi," I sighed out, "At least, I don't think we are."

"By the sounds of things," Rhiannon figured, "You should be."

All of a sudden, I caught something sweet in my nose. I lived in an apartment building. I could differentiate between smells from my apartment and smells from the neighbors. That was coming from here. Blueberries. And loose earl grey tea. I pulled back my bedroom door slightly and let out a slight gasp, "Rhiannon…"

"Yeah?"

"I'll call you later," I stared in disbelief.

"Is everything ok?" she asked.

"Yeah," I assured, "I'm fine. Thanks for checking in."

I hung up my phone and threw it on my bed. I was still in a complete lethargic daze when I walked out to my kitchen. Maybe I was still dreaming? I bit down on my tongue and felt a twinge of pain. No. Not dreaming. This was actually happening. A teapot and a matching cup sat in the middle of my kitchen table. The one I had gotten the last time Haruhi and I went to the flea market. The tea was steeping inside it.

"Good morning," Kyoya stood at my stove, flipping pancakes. And I wasn't dreaming. I wasn't hallucinating. This was actually happening.

 **A/N: *ahem* AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Can we take a minute to imagine Kyoya Ootori making pancakes? And simultaneously squee our little hearts out? I don't know about you, but I'm kind of swooning. Not saying these two are officially a thing yet, buuuuuut…They have some serious shipping potential. See you next chapter! xx**


	12. Lana's Special Houseguest

"Kyoya," I rubbed my eyes, still in complete denial that this is happening, "What are you doing?"

"You were sleeping," Kyoya shrugged, "I got hungry."

"Not what I meant," I clarified, "Why are you still in my apartment?"

"Because," Kyoya draped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer, "You gave me quite a scare last night, Lana. I was worried about you. I told I was going to stay as long as you needed me and I meant it."

"Did…" I started piecing things together, "Did you stay here last night?"

"I left around seven this morning," he went back to tending the pancakes, "I went home for a bit. Then, I came back to check on you and you were still asleep. So, how are you now?"

"A little violated," I admitted, reaching for my medications, "But I'll be ok."

"You know," Kyoya looked over my shoulder as I sorted breakfast out, "You could probably get away with only taking two of those."

"And how do you know this?" I gave him a look.

"It's sort of the family trade," Kyoya grabbed two plates from the cabinet, "If there's anyone who knows how to suck every last dime out of an insurance company…"

Ring, ring…

Who in the hell…? I left my phone on the kitchen table. Before I could even see who it was, Kyoya had already answered it, "Lana's phone…Yes…Hold please…Lana, it's your sister."

"You just called," I took my phone back, "What?"

"Hey, Lana…" Rhiannon chimed, making me a bit uneasy, "So, listen. I made a teeny booboo."

"I'm not wiring you any bail money, Rhiannon," I grumbled.

"I don't need bail money," she assured, "I, uh…I got my dates mixed up. Mom and Dad are leaving for you tomorrow."

I could feel last night's panic attack bubbling back up with a vengeance. I did my best to keep a level head and a lid on my emotions, but I had a feeling this wasn't going to last very long, "Thanks, Rhi."

"Are you ok?" she worried, "I know what Mom and Dad springing crap on you does…"

"Yeah," I looked over to Kyoya, desperately hoping he'd be able to calm me down, "I'm fine."

"Hey, put sexy voice back on," Rhiannon begged.

"Ok," I wasn't going to fight her. I didn't have the intestinal fortitude for it. Instead, I gave my phone to Kyoya, "It's for you."

"Me?" Kyoya answered, "Yes? I understand that…I know…I will…Yes? What is it? Lana?"

"What?" my voice went up an octave or two.

"Do you have any Shakespeare on your bookshelf?" he asked, "May I ask why you want me to read you Shakespeare?"

"No," I rolled my eyes, taking my phone back, "Rhiannon, I will come over there."

"What can I say?" she squeaked, "I have no shame."

"Clearly."

"What's he doing there anyway?" she wondered, "Did someone have a little midnight cowboy action going on?"

"No," I growled, "I have to go."

I hung up on my sister and put my head on the kitchen table. I loved her. I really did. But once in a while, I really don't think a little shame wouldn't kill her. All I ask of her is to have just a little bit of shame and humility. For my sake anyway.

"Is everything ok?" Kyoya asked, putting my plate in front of me. These looked amazing and I was starving. Besides, the more I ate, the quicker my medication would kick in and make it easier to deal with my parents coming!

I couldn't shovel food in my mouth fast enough. If I were worried about making a bad impression on Kyoya, I probably would've presented myself a little better. But if he wasn't scared off by my scars or the million and one other things wrong with me, this was cake.

"I'll take that as a no," he chuckled, "Or my cooking is better than I thought."

"Both," I murmured through a mouthful, "My sister is handful. My parents should be here in the next day or two. And these are quite possibly the greatest pancakes I've ever had in my life."

"I'm glad you like them," Kyoya refilled my tea cup.

"Thank you, Kyoya," I came up for air, "Really and truly. I appreciate this."

"You're welcome," he took my empty plate and put it in the sink, "Did you want anymore?"

"No," I shook my head, "I'm good. I mean, I'm still dreading what's about to happen, but…"

"In that case," Kyoya pulled me onto my feet, "What would you like to do today? Anything at all. The world is our oyster."

"Well," I thought it over, "There is one place…"

"And where is that?"

"It's kind of lame," I blushed a little, "But the aquarium. It's one of my weird happy places. And since I'm feeling pretty anxious already, I thought…"

"Say no more," Kyoya cut me off, "Let's go."

"Ok," I nodded, "Do you think I could de-skank a little first?"

"Go ahead," he took his own plate and started running the water, "Whenever you're ready, we can leave. I'll just clean up a little, if that's alright."

"Thank you," I went into my bedroom and opened up my closet. What to wear, what to wear. I'm going to ignore my problems and I'm not going to let them win. Just going through my clothes. I pulled out a loose, light blue dress and my white cardigan and made my shower go as hot as it would go. Between the heat and the occasional pain twinge, nowhere else I'd rather be right now.

However, I got in and out and dressed and the two of us went out to the aquarium. There's nothing quite like it. Especially this one. The glass surround made me feel like I was in a completely different world. The fish were beautiful and I could watch the jellyfish swim all day. I couldn't have been in a better place of complete and utter zen. One thing had me a little confused, though.

Even though there were all of these beautiful creatures of the sea around us, Kyoya couldn't take his eyes off me. It was almost a little strange. But then again, with Kyoya, I had almost become used to it. Without another word between us, I slowly slipped my hand into his.

And he didn't even budge. I couldn't leave it alone, "Are you ok, Kyoya? You seem distracted."

"Quite the contrary," he smiled, "I couldn't be better."

"You look like you saw a ghost or something."

"No," Kyoya ran his thumb over mine, his eyes all aglow, "I may have caught sight of a mermaid, though."

"I love this place," I wrapped myself around his arm, "It's so peaceful."

"Yes, it is," he agreed.

I sat and rested my face against the cool glass and stared into the water. Yeah. Absolutely peaceful. Not a care in the world. No problems. Everything's simple. Must be nice to be a fish. To just swim around all day. Wait a minute…Did Kyoya say he found a mermaid…? Mermaids aren't real. Maybe he's being delusional? Or…Maybe…No. There's no way. Was…Was _I_ that mermaid?

 **A/N: Love. Love this. Honestly, this is kind of my idea of a perfect date. I love aquariums. They're so beautiful. I might have a Tsukimi (Princess Jellyfish), Clear (Dramatical Murder) like attachment to jellyfish. They're mesmerizing! I had a Vine on my Tumblr dash once of them swimming and it took me half an hour to realize it was a Vine.**

 **Now, I'd like to take a moment to answer a guest review from Luna. First of all, you are very welcome for the beautiful and strangely realistic story. It is my pleasure. Now, as for the why I make you cry. I'm so sorry, sweetie. *hug* I don't mean to. Really, I don't. I don't write this story to invoke emotion like that. I write it so I have an outlet and you don't have to think you're alone. This is a virtual hug to all of you and I love you. See you next chapter. xx**


	13. The Unwelcomed Company

**A/N: Triggers for this chapter may include serious angst/possible verbal abuse (?) and self-harm to a certain extent. Just a warning. This is a really heavy chapter.**

I spent my entire night on cloud nine. I didn't know if it was starting the day off with Kyoya's pancakes or the magic of the aquarium. But I haven't felt so high on life in a very long time. Such a shame my good days are so far and few, but when I do have a good one…I wanted to ride this high out as long as I could.

I could actually go to school and enjoy it. As much as I could enjoy school anyway. It wasn't all bad. I always had advanced biology to look forward to. And fortunately for me, we'd be spending class watching a brain surgery. Or I got to doodle in my notebook. For whatever reason, this guy that sat behind me poked me with a neatly folded piece of paper. He had some of the most beautiful handwriting I had ever seen in my life. I ran my fingers over the blue ink.

 _I miss you._

Kyoya's note made me smile. I rolled my eyes a little and grabbed a pink pen out of my bag.

 _We're in the same class._

I folded the note back up and slipped it behind me. I couldn't believe I was actually doing this. I've never written a note with anyone before. Kyoya poked me again.

 _I know, but we can't let anyone know about how close you and I are._

I felt the pit of my stomach drop to my feet. It scared the hell out of me to ask him why. I had a feeling I already knew the answer. I'm just a lowly commoner. Kyoya wasn't. I'm not good enough for someone like him…I wrote those three little letters on the page.

 _Why?_

Waiting for Kyoya to write me back felt like an eternity. A part of me really wanted to know the answer. The other part of me picked at the scabs on my wrists. When our note was back in my possession, I nearly threw up a couple of times. My heart was trying to escape the confinement of my chest. I unfolded the paper in my hands, dreading what may come.

 _Most of the young ladies here are regular guests of the host club. It'd be bad for business if I were to break that air of mysticism._

So, it wasn't my fault. That was a relief. I couldn't let the others know I was close with Kyoya. Closer than anyone would ever be with him. But I knew of a room where anything goes. A very special, magical room.

 _Can I sit with you at the host club today?_

I casually tossed our conversation behind me. And it wasn't long before I had it back.

 _Of course, Lana. You don't have to make an appointment with me._

I turned a bright shade of red as soon as the bell rang. Dammit. Why did all the blood in my body decide going straight to my face was a good idea? My body as a whole was a complete jerk. But I didn't care. Because in a few short classes, I'd be at the host club and everything would be ok.

I was pretty comfortable by now. I could walk in like I owned the place and no one would care. And I loved it. Of course, I was on a first name basis with all the hosts, too. I've stayed with two of the seven of them overnight. I knew the host club's biggest and best kept secret. I might as well be an honorary member.

"Kyoya!" I chimed as he sat off by himself, balancing the books.

"Hello, Lana," he smiled at me, "How are you doing today?"

I knew he was expecting an honest answer. And I was perfectly ok with giving him one, "I'm wonderful. And I think you're the one to blame."

"Me?" Kyoya gave me a confused, yet intrigued look, "Tell me. What have I done to make your day wonderful?"

I knew he was toying with me. For some strange reason, I was loving it. Maybe the host club charms are finally getting to me. I didn't have a problem with that, "You know exactly what you've done."

"What has he done?" a dark, sinister voice chirped in from the depths of the floor, "What have you been doing, Kyoya?"

"Kyoya…" I started to get nervous, "Is she one of your regulars?"

"I'm his fiancée!" she snapped.

"His what?" I was going to throw up. I could feel stomach acid coming up the back of my throat and my brain was going to fry in it. No. No, no, no. I was having a good day. I was good. Everything was fine. Nothing bad can happen in here. In all of the Ouran Academy, this was my safe place.

I don't know why I was so surprised. Of course Kyoya's engaged. Probably arranged. For someone with his social standing, it wasn't exactly uncommon. I didn't even know why I was getting so upset. It's not like we were ever…we…were we? I thought we had some sort of connection. I showed him my scars willingly. Not just anyone can get me to do that.

"Mori," Kyoya kept oddly calm, "Could you take Lana into the hall please?"

"Sure," Mori scooped me into his arms and took me out of the room. Kyoya knew I was about to blow up. He knew I needed to get out of there, but I was too frozen in my head to move. And the warmth of Mori's embrace was enough to melt me out of it. All he had to do was hold me. My breathing began to steady, my heart started settling down, and I started to balance out, "Are you alright, Lana?"

"Eventually," I squeaked out. Mori held me a little tighter, making sure I was going to be ok. I will say this, though. My scars and my scabs were getting kind of itchy.

"Lana…?" Kyoya finally came out to me curled up in a little ball in Mori's lap.

"What?" I could feel possible tears boiling up in the back of my throat.

"Thank you, Mori," he took me from his embrace and Mori went back to tend to his and Honey's guests, "Looks like I owe you an explanation. First, though, are you alright?"

"Minor panic attack," I reported, "I'll be fine."

"That was Renge," Kyoya explained, pushing my hair out of my face, "She's not my fiancée, but she likes to think she is. No matter how many times I try and correct her. She's the daughter of one of my father's more important clients. She's also the self-appointed manager of the host club. I didn't know she was supposed to even be in here today. Renge's been operating from the shadows for the past few months. I was hoping your introduction to her would've been a bit more gradual."

"I'm not surprised, though," I chuckled a little to shake off my imminent crying, "I was with her senpai after all."

"Tsundere, yes. Yandere, no," he assured me. Kyoya let out a slight gasp, "Lana, you're bleeding."

"I am?" I freaked, noticing the red splotch forming through my bright white cardigan, "Dammit…"

"It's alright," Kyoya pulled a bandage out of his pocket and put it on my wrist. He moved my arm up to his lips, softly kissing the opened scar, "See? Everything's ok."

"Thank you," I nuzzled my face into his chest.

"Here," Kyoya started peeling my cardigan off my shoulders.

"What are you doing?" I jumped.

"Trust me," he settled me, "It's just you and me out here and there aren't any security cameras in this hall."

I was still a bit hesitant, but I let it happen, "Ok."

Kyoya took my cardigan off and replaced it with his blazer, "It'd be better to explain why you have my blazer than for you to explain why there's blood on your cardigan."

His blazer was still warm and smelled like him. Just the feeling of it almost worked better than the handful of medication I took on a daily basis, "Thank you, Kyoya. I'm sorry I overreacted."

"It's not your fault, Lana," he reassured, "Are you coming back inside?"

"No," I shook my head, "I'm drained. I need to go home."

"Come on," Kyoya pulled me to my feet and walked me home. I did overreact, but I felt a little better knowing that Renge was just lovesick over Kyoya than the two of them actually being engaged. He seemed like he couldn't stand her, but for the sake of keeping her happy, he kept up appearances.

Which begged another question my already fragile little psyche couldn't handle. Unfortunately, my brain was the self-flagellating type. Was Kyoya doing the same to me? Was he putting up a front just to keep me happy? Or the entire host club for that matter? No. Kyoya wouldn't have told me about his hospital stay if that were true. I know what kind of burden that weighs on someone's shoulders. The less we can talk about it, the quicker we can forget it ever happened.

Kyoya and I walked into my apartment and he laid me down onto my couch, wrapping himself around me, "Do you need me to stay?"

"I don't think so," I had almost completely come down already, "I'll be alright."

"Do you need anything before I leave?" he offered.

"I need to bleach my cardigan," I brushed him off, "Other than that, I should be good. Thank you, Kyoya…I should probably give you your blazer back."

"Keep it," he told, "If it can get you to calm down…"

"But…"

"I have another one," Kyoya cut me off, kissing the top of my head, "If you need me, please call me. Don't hesitate."

"I will," I promised, watching him walk out the door. All I needed now was to put my headphones on and drown out the world. I skimmed through my music library and looked for something to listen to. Times like these made me miss Tamaki's piano playing. However, I was in the mood for some showtunes, for whatever ungodly reason.

I took to the American Idiot soundtrack because why not? And I knew just the song to start with. Give Me Novacaine's slow drum beat gave me a contact high. I had to admit I was having a throbbing toothache of the mind and couldn't take the feeling anymore. All I wanted was to be better. I wanted to wake up one morning and have my mental stability.

 _Give me a long kiss goodnight and everything will be alright. Tell me that I won't feel a thing, so give me novacaine…_

It made me think of Kyoya. In a way, he was my novacaine. He could make me go from an absolute wreck, a complete mess, a one hundred percent basket case, to perfectly numb and weightless like I wasn't panicked in the least. He made me ok. And it was one of the many things I had come to love about him.

As the music faded out at the end of When It's Time, I was nearly sleeping. That is, until I heard a pounding at the door. I had almost become accustomed to my stomach knotting up when someone was at my door. It could've been anyone. Kyoya coming back to check on me, my landlord making sure I was still breathing.

"Surprise!"

But of course…It couldn't have been any of them. It had to be them.

My stomach muscles tightened even more, "Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad. Konbanwa."

"Lana, you're American," Dad cut me off, "Speak the language."

"But we're in Japan," I reminded.

"And?"

"You live here?" my mother looked around, a grimace on her face, "Not very much. And it wouldn't kill you to sweep up in here, would it?"

"I've been really busy with school lately," I kept my head down, "I joined an after school club a few months ago. It's actually been really great for my mental health. It's ran by these guys that are so…"

"That's nice, Lana," she cut me off. Surprise, surprise. And they wonder why I'm so quiet.

"I really like it here," I told, "I might actually stay here until I graduate. And even after that, I might go to college here, too."

"Sure, sure," Dad nodded condescendingly.

"That'll cost a fortune," Mom threw in, "If you thought out of state tuition was bad, I could just about imagine what out of country would be like."

"And you know we'll be the ones to foot the bill," he gave her a nudge.

"Obviously."

I could feel it bubbling in the back of my mind. All I wanted to do was scream at the top of my lungs. But I kept quiet. I bit my tongue. Because I was too afraid of what their reaction would be. I knew exactly how it would go. But if I were to say something, they'd end up screaming at me and I'd regret even opening my mouth. So I stayed quiet. A prisoner of my own mind.

"So, Lana," Dad threw himself down on my couch, "When are you coming back home?"

"I don't know," I didn't have any future plans of going back to England at the current juncture, "How long are you and Mom here?"

"We're here until Friday," Mom chimed in, "We'd stay here, but I don't think you have the room. And we'd hate to take your bed. We probably wouldn't fit anyway. Thank God, we got a hotel."

"I'm not off until Wednesday," I pointed out, "I have school in the morning."

"We know," Dad said, "We get your schedule. Why else would we have planned to surprise you now?"

Because I stabbed two puppies and a baby and set the Pope and a nun on fire in a past life and this is my eternal punishment?

"Wednesday," Mom confirmed, "We'll see you then, sweetheart! We love you! Bye!"

My parents left me in the wake of their damage and took a cab to go back to the hotel. I locked the door three times and curled up into a little ball on my bed. All I could do was cry. Rhiannon was right. They didn't understand. And I don't think they ever will until it's too late. I couldn't be by myself. Not now. Not in my current state. As soon as I could actually speak again, I grabbed my phone off my nightstand and scrolled through my contacts.

"Lana…?" a very tired, very groggy voice rumbled on the other end, "It's two in the morning."

"Kyoya…" I tried so hard to swallow the lump in my throat, but no such luck, "I need you…Now…"

"What's wrong?" he worried, "What happened?"

"I need you," I repeated, blinking tears out of my eyes.

"On my way."

Click.

I tried to keep my breathing steady and tried my damnedest not to start crying again while I waited for Kyoya to get here. I wrapped myself in a thick, warm blanket and laid on my couch. I needed to come down from this. But this wasn't like the other times. This was worse. And much more intense than I've had in a very long time. I didn't need two bad panic attacks back to back like this. It's bad enough my brain was already melting into mush. I didn't need it to be worse.

Knock, knock.

"Lana?" a soft voice seeped through the door, "It's Kyoya…"

"It's open," I called out weakly.

Kyoya practically busted down the door and immediately held me against him. Nope. It wasn't going to happen. The proverbial floodgates opened up into Kyoya's shoulder. I never ever wanted him to see me this bad. He didn't need to. I was hoping that seeing my scars was going to be the biggest thing I'd have him see. Now, here he was, at two in the morning while I cried my eyes out.

"Lana," he comforted, "I know it's going to be difficult for you, but you need to tell me what happened."

"My parents are here…" my voice broke, "And nothing's changed. I'm still just a shadow. I'm packing tape."

"Packing tape?"

"I'm there," I elaborated, "But they don't see me. And I'm always in the way until they actually need me."

"Not at all," Kyoya spoke softly, pulling my hair out of my face, "If you're going to continue with the packing tape metaphor, think of it this way. You're strong and you hold things together. And you're going to be ok. How long are they here?"

"Until Friday."

"Perfect," Kyoya had something in his head. I wasn't quite sure what that was, but it was something. Whatever he had planned, he'd run it past me before he went through with it. Kyoya knew how I felt about surprises, "You can do this, Lana. It's only a few days. You can get through this. This is only a temporary situation."

"Kyoya…" my sobs began to ease slightly.

"Yes?"

I cuddled into his chest a little more, "Will you stay with me tonight?"

"Considering we have to be to school in five hours?" he thought it over, "Yes. I'll stay. Leaving you like this would just be irresponsible."

"Thank you," I hiccupped.

"My pleasure," Kyoya rubbed on my back, "Now, get some sleep. I don't think you'll be able to nap through biology."

"Hasn't stopped me before," I smiled a little. Kyoya, you were my saving grace and didn't even know it. Or maybe you did and you were just being modest about it. Either way, I couldn't be more grateful for you right now and I didn't want you to go anywhere.

 **A/N: This…This was kind of a really hard chapter to write. It was physically and mentally draining and I think I may need to lay down and turn on Captain America: The Winter Soldier for a while. I cringed a lot writing it. I'm sorry if I made you cringe reading it. And it's going to get worse before it gets better. I actually started crying after her parents left when I was writing out her call to Kyoya. Now, another thing. Because Kyoya's Kyoya, he's got something up his sleeve. We'll get there. We'll get there together. And I kind of need a hug…And to lay down…I'll see you next chapter. xx**


	14. Lana Loses Her Appetite

**A/N: Hi, guys. Before we get started on today's chapter, it's going to get cringetastic again. Like I said at the end of the last one, it's going to get worse before it gets better. And sPEAKING OF LAST CHAPTER...As a whole, I'd like to take a moment and say this…You little shits…How dare you? You jerks got me emotional! The outpouring of love on the last chapter was absolutely incredible and so overwhelming. In all seriousness, from the bottom of my heart, thank you all. Give yourselves a pat on the back right now…Did you do it? I was serious. Pat yourselves on the back…**

 **To the guest comment, (and for those curious as to why I only address the guest comments in these things and not the members. It's because I talk to the members directly. They get a nice little message from me answering any and all of their questions or concerns.) I understand what you mean with the slight British accent with the title. And your Lord of the Rings tangent made me smile. And really and truly, I wish it were that simple to make this child happy and safe and ok again and let her live her life as a mermaid…But fear not, dear reader. Because that child? The one that you want to keep safe from everything that triggers her? She'll be ok. Eventually. It'll be a while, but she'll be ok. And she's going to shut up now, so you can read her new chapter. Don't worry. You'll hear from her again at the end. Enjoy!**

Maybe I'll wake up and yesterday never happened. My parents weren't here on a surprise trip and I wasn't crying on Kyoya last night. Everything was fine and I was going to be ok. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see if my wish had come true. I followed the arm around my waist up to Kyoya's damp shoulder as his fingers ensnared themselves in my hair. As much as I was loving that part, I hated how it had come to fruition.

"Good morning, Lana," Kyoya cradled my face so gently in his palm.

"Morning," I rubbed my eyes, "I think I'm the only person I've ever known that can wake up still completely exhausted."

"Didn't sleep well last night?" he assumed.

"Unfortunately, no," I grumbled, "Look, I'm sorry about last night, Kyoya. And for making you stay here."

"Lana," Kyoya stopped me, "It was my pleasure. No need for an apology. I had already told you that if you ever needed me to call me without hesitation. And you did. As much as you'd like to go back to sleep, we have to go to school. By the looks of my watch we could very well be late. Now, you need to get up. You can do it. I know you can."

"Ok," I dredged out of bed, "I'll be quick."

I glanced myself over in the mirror in my bathroom and looked like a complete trainwreck. My god…I felt like I was dying. All I wanted to do was crawl back in bed. But I knew if I did that, Mom and Dad would be over in a heartbeat and as much as I love them, I wanted that like a root canal. With a quick shower, I pulled myself together as much as I could and went outside. Why in the hell was there a limo outside my…? Oh yeah. I keep forgetting Kyoya's loaded. It wouldn't surprise me if this was his.

Luckily, I breezed through the school day. I was too delirious to retain anything, but I could reread the chapter. I'd be fine. If not, I'd just have to have Kyoya tutor me again. Like that's so terrible…I wouldn't mind another trip to the library with him.

And as my regular school day came to a close and the final bell rang, the thought of going home loomed over my head like a storm cloud. I'd be ok, though. I had a music room to go to. I probably wouldn't be home for a little while yet. And I was perfectly ok with that.

I had my boys. I had my Haruhi. I had my own little family that would always be here, always waiting, and they'd always welcome me with open arms. Normally, the first one to me was Kyoya, but today, I had gotten someone a little smaller than Kyoya.

"Lana-chan!" Honey latched himself to my leg.

"Hi, Honey," I smiled, pulling him to his feet.

"Come sit with us!" he begged, "Please?"

"Sure," I nodded as I sat next to Mori, "Why not?"

"Hey, Lana-chan," Honey's soft, sweet, little voice chirped, "Can I ask you something?"

"What's on your mind?" I allowed.

"Did you and Kyo-chan ride to school together this morning?" he wondered, setting off the radars of two other curious hosts.

"Yes," I confirmed as Hikaru and Kaoru slinked behind me.

"Really…?" they asked in unison.

"You and Kyoya-senpai have gotten awfully close lately," Hikaru noticed.

"It's none of our business," Kaoru pointed out, "But…"

"What's going on with you two?"

"Hikaru, Kaoru," Kyoya joined us, "Don't you have guests to attend to? You wouldn't want to keep the young ladies waiting."

"On it!" the twins scuttled away.

"Now, Princess," Kyoya went full host on me, "Would you care to join me?"

"I'd love to," I started to turn a light shade of pink.

"But first," he took my hand, "Renge wants to speak with you."

Uh-oh…Just want I wanted. That lunatic tsundere going nuts on me again. All because of my friendship with Kyoya. It's not like we were sleeping together…Well…In the carnal sense anyway. And only after major panic attacks. Kyoya brought me over to Renge, who was carefully watching every single move every host made.

"Oh," she jumped as Kyoya tapped her shoulder, "Lana…Hi…"

"Renge," Kyoya scolded, "Isn't there something you'd like to say to her?"

"I'm sorry about yesterday," she apologized, "I didn't realize it would have affected you the way it did. I will try harder to learn from my actions, so I will not repeat them in the future."

"Thank you," I spoke softly. Even though she sounded like she was reading from a script, it was still appreciated.

"It's just that…" Renge added, "You were getting a bit too close to my Kyoya."

"Renge," Kyoya stopped her, "We talked about this. We're not a couple."

"Sorry," Renge corrected herself. Now, that one was genuine.

I was practically superglued to Kyoya's hip for the rest of the day. I wasn't sure what it was about watching him work, but I found it oddly mesmerizing. Any time I'd even slightly begin to feel anxious, I'd watch Kyoya write. His handwriting was so beautiful and his pen strokes were so fluid. It was like watching those calligraphy videos on the internet my doctor in London told me about. Such a stunning distraction.

But soon enough, the host club had started thinning out and it was time for everyone else to go home. There goes my good feeling. All good things, I guess. I rested my head on Kyoya's shoulder, "I don't want to go…"

"I know, Lana," his arm snaked behind me, "I'll walk you home, ok?"

"Ok."

As soon as everyone else was out of eye shot, Kyoya slipped his fingers between mine. I loved having his hand in mine. It offered such a comfort. Like my headphones when I needed to come down, only warmer and a little more reassuring. Having Kyoya at my hip would make the next part so much easier. I hope.

"Lana!" my dad screeched upon my homecoming. That's funny. They weren't here when I left this morning. Almost immediately, before they could see anything, I threw Kyoya's hand down.

"Finally!" my mom joined us in my living room, "Where were you? You got out of school two hours ago."

"I had a thing." That I already told you about when you got here and asked what was new in my life…That you blatantly ignored me about…

"Who is this?" And that you're ignoring me about again, "Is he one of your little friends from school?"

"Yeah…" I looked down at my feet, pulling on my cardigan sleeve, "This is-"

"Excuse me," Mom scanned Kyoya over like he was some sort of strange object she's never seen before, speaking slowly to him like he was a moron, "Hi. Do you speak English?"

And Kyoya could tell that she thought he wasn't the brightest bulb. I bit down on my bottom lip, grumbling to myself, "Mom, don't…"

"Can you understand me?" she spoke even slower. I could see the vein in Kyoya's forehead, yet he managed to stay so calm. And that worried me.

"Sumimasen (Excuse me)?" Kyoya gave her a look.

"I'm sorry, what?" Mom met him with the same look.

"Lana," Dad demanded, "Translate."

"Wakarimasen (I don't understand)," Kyoya went on.

"Kyoya," I stopped him from being such a troll, "Shinaide kudasai… (Please don't…)"

"Yes," he obliged, "I speak perfect English."

"Oh!" Mom beamed, "That's a relief…"

"Lana," Kyoya looked over to me, "Anata wa watashi nashide daijobudeshou ka (Will you be alright without me?)?"

"Yoku wakarimasen (I'm not sure)," I could already feel my hands shaking.

"If the next word out of either one of your mouths isn't English," Dad got angry, "I'm taking it as an insult."

"Sorry," I apologized, "Kyoya, will you please stay for dinner?"

"Of course I will," he agreed.

"Thank you," I let out a heavy sigh of relief, "These are my parents. Mom, Dad, this is Kyoya…"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Smith," Kyoya bowed politely.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Kyoya," Mom smiled, "Come on. Dinner's done."

I helped Mom set my table and brought dinner out. This was either going to be another quiet, boring, mundane dinner like they've always been or it was going to be a complete and absolute disaster. Never have I ever wished, hoped, prayed so hard for boring in my life. The room was dead silent. I guess that was a good sign.

"So, Kyoya," my dad broke the silence. Not good, "You got a girlfriend?"

I choked on my water. My father was never really the talkative type. He could have an entirely new religion in his head brought to him by the gods and still not say a word. Yet the first thing to come out of his mouth is that? Fantastic. Just wonderful.

"No," Kyoya kept his head.

"Do you have a job?" Dad went on.

"No," he explained, "There's a strict policy at Ouran Academy that students aren't allowed to have jobs while they're enrolled."

"Are you interested in pursuing my daughter?"

"Um…" Kyoya froze, "That's a question I'm uncomfortable answering at this juncture."

"That's a yes," Mom gave Dad a nudge. This was going downhill fast. And I wasn't mentally equipped to handle an avalanche tonight. No. I'm not doing this. I am not spiraling. Not happening. No. No, no, no. Not doing it. No. Kyoya took my hand under the table, giving me the slight reassurance I needed at this point.

"Well," Dad grabbed his plate and Mom's plate and put them in my sink, "It's getting kind of late. You're not busy tomorrow, right, Lana?"

"Um…" I didn't know what to say. I probably had some things I needed to do. I needed to go grocery shopping. I needed to do laundry. I needed to keep what little sanity I had.

"Then, we'll see you in the morning!" Mom kissed the top of my head and the two of them left Kyoya and me in the middle of my apartment completely dumbfounded.

"Kyoya…" I spoke softly, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"For what, Lana?" he caught me as I fell into his arms, "You don't need to apologize for them. I completely understand why you didn't want to leave the host club today. I wouldn't want to either. Or why you called last night."

"I'm sorry," my voice broke, "You really didn't have to stay. I'm just making more trouble than it's worth."

"Lana, no," I was honestly waiting for Kyoya to pull out either a spray bottle or a newspaper, "I wasn't going to leave you like that. It would've been far too irresponsible. And you didn't deserve to go through that alone."

"I caught you nodding off in biology," I pointed out, "And it was all because of me."

"It's biology," he chuckled a little, "Can you blame me? You're in the same class. You know what it's like."

"I guess I can't…" I nuzzled into his chest, "So…Are you staying again? It is getting kind of late."

"Would you like me to?" he offered.

"Maybe…"

"Let me rephrase that," Kyoya pulled me down to my couch, cradling me in his arms, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," I shook it off.

"Do you need me to stay?"

"I feel fine," I assured, "I'll be ok."

"Do you want me to stay?" Kyoya held me tighter.

I thought it over for a minute or two, "If it's not too much to ask…"

I felt a smile appear on his face, "Never."

"Ok," I rested my head on his chest, listening to the hypnotic rhythm of his heartbeat. Slow, steady, even beats. Mixed with the warmth of his body, Kyoya always knew how to calm me down. And he didn't even have to do much. But all of a sudden, that slow, steady beating started to quicken.

"Lana," Kyoya held me, "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure," I cuddled into him, "What is it?"

"Do you remember what your father asked me about you?" he refreshed my memory.

"Yeah," I nodded, "What about it?"

"The reason why I didn't answer him," Kyoya elaborated, "I wanted to tell you alone first before I told anyone else."

My stomach dropped, "What do you mean?"

"Well," his embrace tightened. Much like my chest, "You're very special to me, Lana."

"What…?"

"I care about you," Kyoya went on, "If anyone else would have called me at two in the morning, I would've hung up on them, but not without some very colorful language before doing so."

"I'm sorry…" Uh-oh…I started to feel the lump in my throat again. I thought I was going to be ok. I thought this was going to hold off. Sure enough, here comes the rain, "I don't think anyone's ever sincerely told me that before."

"Sincerely told you?" he wondered.

"When I was living in England," I told, my body shaking a little, "I would get a handful of boys that would hit on me, but they never meant it. They would make me feel special, but then, they'd all laugh about it behind my back. I was a bet to them."

"I promise you," Kyoya assured, "You're not a bet to me. You're so much more than that, Lana. If you were just a bet, I wouldn't be staying with you tonight. But here I am, laying on your couch with you while you come down from a panic attack."

I started to breathe out my tears and hid a slight smile from him, "Thank you, Kyoya…"

"You're welcome," he pushed the hair out of my face, "Come on. Let's go to bed. I know you're probably very tired."

All I did was nod and Kyoya scooped me up in his arms. He brought me to my bed and I drifted off in his arms. Perfectly content with the world. I knew I would have to deal with my parents in the morning, but somehow, this moment made everything ok.

When I woke up the next morning, I felt a tickle in the palm of my hand. My bare arm was outstretched across Kyoya's lap. At least I wasn't alone. A mixture of light blue and red lotus blossoms and some light pink cherry blossom petals were beautifully scrawled on my arms. These looked like something Rhiannon would have on the walls at her station. I watched as Kyoya kept moving up my arms, paying particular attention to color over my scars. He really had quite a talent.

I studied Kyoya's face from the corner of my eye and noticed him smile, not breaking his concentration, filling both my heart and my stomach with butterflies. His confession from last night made me see him in a whole new light. Even more so than when we were comparing scars in the library. Kyoya might have been a little broken and a little flawed, but he and I were the same…

 **A/N: See? That wasn't so bad. Still a little cringetastic, but it got better. As for Kyoya's morning doodles on Lana's arm? I'm going to have a sort of reference on Tumblr later. I've been procrastination drawing on my hand for the past few minutes and I'm really liking it. The coloring on it kind of sucks, but it gets the point across. I have an addiction when it comes to drawing lotus blossoms and they can mean so many things. And I'll explain what Lana's arm means in the next chapter. So, I guess, I'll see you guys then? Yeah? Golly, I hope so. Kyoya's a sweetheart and I'll see you next chapter. xx**


	15. The Unpleasant Family Outing

**A/N: Ok. I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys this last week. Unless you're with the Kuroshitsuji fic, too. In that case, you already know what I'm about to say. Yesterday was Tuesday, our usual update day for Kiss, Kiss. But alas, I didn't update yesterday. Why? Well, yesterday was also the one-year anniversary of me posting to the site. And I started posting in Kuroshitsuji. So, I decided to give them their update yesterday instead of yours. Now, I promise you're getting yours today. I'm sorry if you guys missed out on your regularly scheduled internet therapy session, but I'm going to shut up now and let you guys get to reading, ok? Are we good? I hope so. Because I love you…I'll see you at the end. Enjoy!**

 **Possible triggers for the chapter: Scar mentions.**

"Kyoya," I watched as his floral design continued to grow up my arm, "What are you doing?"

"Drawing on your arm," Kyoya went on, filling in the petals.

"Obviously," I rolled my eyes.

"Don't ask silly questions if you already know the answer," I could hear his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Thank you, Kyoya," I grumbled under my breath, "Why are you drawing on my arm?"

"Now, you're asking the right questions," he switched colors, thickening the lines on the left side of the petal, "To tell you the truth, you were still asleep when I woke up. I didn't want to move you. You had some markers on your nightstand. I had an idea."

"Lotus blossoms?" I assumed.

"That's right," he nodded, "They can mean so many things. And it all depends on the color."

I looked down at my wrist, "What do blue and red mean?"

"Red means passion," Kyoya explained, pushing down a little harder on my drying out marker, "Blue means wisdom. The way I have them drawn on you, the red reflects the blue. I find it fitting."

"What do you mean?" I wondered, studying the flow of the lines on my arm.

"Your passion reflects your wisdom and your wisdom reflects your passion," he told, "You may not see it now, Lana, but you will. One day. And I thought you wouldn't want your scars to show. That way, when your sleeves accidentally come up, you won't be showing anyone something you don't want them to see."

"It's beautiful," I choked a little, "You have quite a talent, Kyoya."

"Thank you," he put the finishing touches on the cherry blossom petals.

"Maybe instead of my parents coming here," I suggested, "It should've been my sister. She would love to get her hands on you."

"I'm sure she would," Kyoya chuckled, "She made that pretty clear the last time we spoke."

"Not just because of that," I promised, "She's a tattoo artist in New York. She's been wanting to ink me up for ages now."

"Maybe you could get something like this," he traced over my scars with his finger, "It makes for a nice cover, if I do say so myself. And you could go back to wearing short sleeves again."

"That's a long way up the road," I shook at the mere thought of it, "But I'd have to clear it with a doctor of mine in London before I actually get a tattoo."

"This would make a nice one," Kyoya assured, taking pictures with his phone, "Future reference."

"Send those to me," I demanded, "I'll send them to Rhi and see what she thinks of them."

"I will."

"By the way," I crawled out of bed, "Are you coming with today?"

"For…?"

"My parents are coming back," I sighed out, "I don't have anything going on, remember?"

"Will you need me?" he asked.

"Probably."

"Then, I'll go," Kyoya assured, "Remember, Lana. Anytime you need me, you know where I'll be."

I hid a smile from him. That's what I liked so much about Kyoya. No matter what. No matter how minor or major. Hell, no matter the time of day even! He was always there. And he always knew what needed to be done. Kyoya knew how to take care of me and it worked like a charm every time.

Ring, ring.

"That's not me," I glanced toward the beeping.

"It's me," Kyoya grabbed his phone off my nightstand, "Hi, Tamaki…No, I'm busy today…Actually, do you think you could do me a favor and call everyone? We all meet at Lana's for further instruction…Wonderful. See you soon."

Click.

"Kyoya," I gave him a look, "What did you just do?"

"Provided some additional support if need be," he justified, "And if you need anything…"

"You'll be there," I cut him off, "All of you. You guys really are a tight knit family, aren't you?"

"You've been around the host club long enough," Kyoya pulled me back down to my bed, "You know how it works."

I rested my head on his shoulder, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Kyoya put his arm around my waist.

Knock, knock.

"Lana! Open up!"

"Awesome," I groaned.

"Do you want me to get it?" Kyoya offered.

"No," I shook my head, grabbing my pills out of the kitchen, "If they ask, you just stopped by. You didn't stay here last night."

"Alright."

As much as I didn't want to, I swallowed my breakfast and got my door, "Ohayo."

"Lana," my dad chastised, "You're American. Speak English."

"Sorry." Because other languages are completely fictional and other cultures don't exist. If it's not done the American way, it's automatically wrong, "Good morning."

"Good morning," Mom pushed herself through the door to find Kyoya at my stove, "Oh…I didn't realize you had company."

"Kyle, right?" Dad tried. And failed miserably.

"Kyoya," he corrected, mumbling to himself, "Baka…"

"Something Jackie Chan-y," he figured, "What are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighborhood," Kyoya covered for me, "I thought I would stop by and check on a friend."

"This early?" Mom nearly saw through us.

"It's only ten o'clock," he pointed out.

"If it's ok with you two," I stepped in to avoid any further digging, "Kyoya's coming with us today."

"Lana," my dad put his foot down, "This is family time. You can play with your friends later. Until then, you're with us."

"But," I argued, "Kyoya knows Tokyo better than I do. I haven't really gotten out much since I got here."

"There's a surprise," Mom scoffed, "I guess that's ok."

"If you left your room more often," Dad nudged me, "You'd see more than just your cave."

Find a happy place, Lana. Find a happy place. I looked out of the corner of my eye at Kyoya making me tea. He knew. He always knew. Kyoya knew everything. Haruhi warned me about that from day one at the host club. Kyoya would and could handle anything. I always thought she was exaggerating. Until I saw it for myself.

I pulled myself together quickly and the four of us were out the door. Strangely enough, a group of boys stood around at the bottom of the stairs with a limo out front. Even though I knew exactly who they were, I kept my fingers crossed, hoping to God my parents don't say anything. The boys kept quiet, but unfortunately, my parents didn't, curious as to why there'd be a limo outside my house. At least they didn't read into it too much.

And just like that, we wandered around downtown for a while. The best part about our whole trip? I didn't even realize my parents were there. It just felt like another date with Kyoya. Just with my parents being kind of an irritant. Then again, I couldn't care less. They were going to end up getting themselves punched, but maybe that wasn't my problem.

"Lana-chan! Lana-chan!" a familiar voice cried out.

"What is it, Honey?" the little host latched onto my side.

"I can't find Takashi," his eyes were bright red. How long had he been by himself? The thought broke my heart, "I wandered off from the marketplace and I can't find him anywhere!"

"We'll find him," I promised, "Did you try calling him?"

"My phone died," he sniveled.

"Oh, sweetie," my mom had to say something. Just had to say something. Because it's not bad enough he lost Mori, "Does your mommy know you're out here by yourself?"

"Yeah."

"He's actually older than us," I told her, hoping she was catching my mental telepathy.

"What are you, eight?" Dad assumed.

"I'm eighteen," Honey wiped his eyes, "Lana-chan, who are they?"

"They're my parents," I brushed them off, holding him to my side.

"Don't worry, Honey-senpai," Kyoya assured, "I'll call Mori-senpai for you."

"Thank you, Kyo-chan," Honey started to come down while Kyoya called Mori.

But until then, I was starving. I needed something to curb my nauseam. I should know better than to take my medication on an empty stomach. One would think I'd learn. Apparently not. So, the five of us went into a sushi restaurant on the corner. Normally, sushi made me even more nauseous than my medication, but at this point, anything sounded good.

"Do they not have forks in this place?" my dad never realizes that his voice can carry. And suggesting such a thing is almost an insult.

"You don't eat sushi with a fork, Dad," I cringed, watching him pick some up with his hand. I can't take him anywhere. I just wanted to crawl under the table. If his remark didn't do it or him eating with his hands, watching him struggle with chopsticks definitely did it. I could get through this. I could get through this, "You know, after this, I think we should go home. This last combination of medications is really draining."

"You're fine," my mom shoved me a little.

"I think she'd know a little better," Kyoya stepped in for me.

"You're just using it as an excuse," Dad brushed me off, "so you can go back to holing up in your apartment."

"Lana," Kyoya whispered to me, "Are you alright?"

"I'm tired," I suppressed a yawn.

"Well maybe if you slept at night," Dad scolded me.

"Will you be ok?" Kyoya worried.

"I'll try," I rubbed my eyes.

"Here, mysterious stranger," a familiar stranger handed me a really strong green tea, "On the house."

I couldn't help but shake my head and smile a little at this beloved idiot, "Thank you, Tamaki."

"Tamaki?" he overacted, "Who is this Tamaki? I know no Tamaki. Kyoya, did Lana not get the script?"

"Just go," Kyoya shoved him off.

After our cringe worthy lunch, we left the restaurant with a lot of apologies given. Note to self. Never take my parents for sushi again. Explaining how chopsticks work is an absolute nightmare and bento boxes are wasted on them. When we got outside, a giant man ran toward us.

"Mitsukuni!"

"Look, buddy," my dad tried to play human shield, "We don't want any problems."

"Takashi!" Honey scaled him, sitting on Mori's shoulders, "I'm sorry. I'll never run off again."

"Thank you, Kyoya," Mori spoke softly, looking over to me, making sure I was ok.

"It's no problem, Mori-senpai," Kyoya said, "He's never any trouble."

"Mmm…" he nodded in gratitude.

"See you later, guys!" Honey sang, back in high spirits as he and Mori left us again.

"What the hell was that all about?" Dad asked, looking toward me for answers.

"He's a friend of ours from school," I explained.

"The little one is his cousin," Kyoya added, "They're practically brothers. Mori-senpai watches over Honey-senpai like a hawk, but Honey-senpai really could take care of himself if he needed to."

"I could mush him like a bug," Dad scoffed arrogantly, "Not that I would, but I'm just saying. Who's to stop someone bigger than me from doing something?"

"If you say so," Kyoya had a little smirk on his face. I remember Haruhi saying Honey could probably kill someone with his bare hands. I thought that was more of a running joke. By the look on Kyoya's face, it's not just a rumor. It's actually true.

All that aside, Kyoya finally took us to somewhere a little more low key. He showed us to some very serene garden that made the world seem like it wasn't real. It was absolutely beautiful. And a lot of it reminded me of the marker on my arm. After the incident with the sushi, I was ready to commit patricide, so I guess this wasn't too terribly bad of an idea. Kyoya took my hand and ran off with me.

"Kyoya!" I squeaked, completely out of breath by the time we stopped, "What the hell was that all about?"

"Come here," he sat me down on the bench, "I figured you could use some time away from them. I know I did."

"Me, too," I agreed, resting my head on his shoulder, "Thank you, Kyoya."

"You're welcome," he wrapped his arms around me, "It's just one more day, Lana. One more day."

"Isn't this sweet?" an older woman smiled at us, "You two make such an adorable couple."

"Thank you," Kyoya mirrored her expression while I sat confused.

"Hold on," I looked up at him as she walked away, "Kyoya, are we…?"

"No," he clarified, "It's not quite the time for that yet. And only if you wanted to be."

"I don't know," I shrugged, "Maybe…"

"Lana!" my dad yelled, killing the moment, "Come on! We're leaving!"

"Ok," I rolled my eyes.

As our day came to an end, Kyoya put my kettle on and it was back to being just the two of us. The day took way too much out of me that I didn't want it to and I just wanted to go to bed. But I didn't want to. I wanted my kettle to boil faster and for my chamomile down my throat. I'd be ok, though. I had Kyoya. I was going to be ok.

"Lana," Kyoya brought me my tea and I curled into his side, "Do you have any plans for the weekend?"

"Not that I can think of," I went through my itinerary in my head. Nope. Blank slate.

"Would you care to spend it with me?" he offered.

"Sure," I yawned, "What are we doing?"

"As much as you don't like them," Kyoya cradled me in his lap, "I'm keeping that to myself. You'll just have to trust me. It's nothing triggering, but after the few days you've had, you're in desperate need of it."

I wasn't sure how to react to that. I mean, I was pretty sure I could trust Kyoya with anything. He knew what set me off and what didn't. He understood the effect these things could have on me. He knew the inner workings of my brain by now. Nothing could possibly go wrong, but on the same token, everything could go wrong. At this point, I was too tired to argue, "Ok. I'll do it."

"Good," Kyoya rubbed my back, "I'm going to make a few phone calls and put things in motion. Will you be ok by yourself?"

"Yeah," I yawned, "I'll be alright."

"Ok," Kyoya put me down on my couch and it didn't take me much to go to sleep. I would've rather Kyoya as my pillow, but the arm of my couch would work just as well.

 **A/N: I'm sorry this is up so late. I really don't have much of an excuse for it. I couldn't get my head start last night and that's where I done goofed first. But all that aside, next week, I promise I'll post on Tuesday again. You know why I didn't post yesterday. I already told you that. Now, next week, I promise her parents will be gone. They make me cringe, too. Not to mention, Kyoya's surprise is going to come into fruition. I'm excited. I'm so excited. Because we're going to be introducing a new character. Original to the anime. Friends with someone we've already met. That's all the hint I'm giving. I should keep my mouth shut. See you next chapter! xx**


	16. A Relaxing and Refreshing Adventure

**A/N: So, I read something the other day that kind of bummed me out. I know I said in the very first chapter that there were going to be some cringy moments in this story. I warned you. And I always do when there's something going down. But I got a guest comment that said it was too cringy for them. They left that review on chapter three. They didn't even crack the cringe factor. Oh, well. I still have you guys, don't I? Thanks for not quitting on me. And to the one that said it was too cringy, I understand. I have other stories you can get into that aren't as cringy. One day, I'll be able to write something a little more lighthearted and not a giant bowl of honey nut feelios, but today is not that day. Although, this is a definite fluff chapter. I will say that much. Enjoy!**

Finally. Thursday night. The night I had been waiting for all week. Because come Friday morning, my biggest triggers would be on a flight back to the United States and we'd be back in two different countries on two different continents again. The way things have been since I was twelve. The way it should be.

I just had to get through dinner first. I told Kyoya to sit this one out. Hopefully, I'd be ok. He's stuck it out with me a lot since they got here. I didn't need to trouble him anymore. I'm sure he had better things to do. One plus side about all this? Mom was a hell of a cook. And I'd be living off leftovers for a week.

"You seem to have a pretty good lid on things here, Lana," Dad praised.

"Yeah," I nodded, "It's amazing here. I love it."

"Think you'll stay after you graduate?" Mom wondered.

"I'm not sure," I shrugged. I hadn't really given it much thought. In all honesty, I really wanted to go back to England and go to college there, but Japan had grown on me. It had made its case. And I had more here than I did there.

"You better pray for scholarships," Dad scoffed, "There'd be no way we'd be able to swing those tuition bills."

I knew someone who could and would in a heartbeat if it meant me staying in the country. In fact, I knew six someones who could and would in a heartbeat if it meant me staying in the country. As much as I was coming around to loving those boys, I wasn't going to treat them like my sugar daddies. Something like that would be too much. I reveled in the sweet silence at the table and finished eating in peace.

My parents left me to my devices and I decided to get all nice and comfortable, making my tea for the night. I woke my phone up and kicked my feet up on my couch. This night went better than I expected. Nobody was yelling at anyone else. My parents weren't talking to me like I had just got out of the psych ward. Or like I was six. And to put the cherry on top of the evening, I had six text messages waiting for me.

 _Hope you're doing well, Princess._

 _TS_

 _Thanks for keeping an eye on Mitsukuni the other day._

 _Hope you're ok._

 _TM_

 _The sakura petals are pretty in the moonlight._

 _Take a look when you get a chance._

 _KH_

 _Are you doing ok?_

 _HH_

 _I miss you, Lana-chan._

 _MH_

Bless those boys. But the last one was my favorite.

 _Pack a bag for the weekend._

 _KO_

Kyoya did say he had a surprise for me. And asked if I was busy this weekend. Honestly, I didn't really want to do anything this weekend. These past few days killed me. I wanted to sleep until noon and not leave the house until Monday. But by the sounds of things, Kyoya and I are taking a trip instead. I guess that's fine. I dug around in my closet, threw a few days' worth of clothes in my overnight bag, and called it a night.

The thought of Kyoya and I taking a trip together excited and terrified me all at once. I had no idea where we were going. I didn't know what we were doing. Thinking about it made me lose an hour or two of sleep. However, when I woke up the next morning, I saw two little words that sort of made me melt.

 _Good morning. :)_

 _KO_

I couldn't have woken up any better. With a smile on my face, I peeled myself out of bed. I'd make my morning tea. I'd take my breakfast. I'd get in the shower. Then, I'd call Kyoya and I'd get to see my surprise. Whatever that may be. But of course, because Lana can't have nice things, those plans were very quickly derailed. Fantastic.

Mom stood at my stove. Dad was on my couch. It was Friday. That's all that mattered. In a few hours, they'd be on their way back. And everything was going to be just fine. Just needed to find a happy place at this point.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Mom kissed my cheek, "You want any breakfast?"

"No," I treaded lightly, "What are you two doing here? How did you even get in?"

"We have a copy of your key," Dad sat up, "We're leaving soon. Thought we'd come say our goodbyes."

"We only have one kid in the same country," Mom wrapped her arms around me, "And Rhiannon doesn't come to visit unless it's Christmas."

"When are you coming stateside again?" Dad asked.

"I don't know," I broke free of my mother's embrace and got my pill sorter. I felt my phone buzz in my hand.

 _Parked around back. You ready yet?_

 _KO_

I tapped on the text bar, trying to hide the smile on my face. We didn't need them sniffing around too much.

 _Let me get rid of them first._

 _LS_

"What's that all about?" Mom nudged me. Dammit.

"Nothing," I shut it down as quick as I could.

"That face doesn't say it was nothing," she pried.

"Sorry to disappoint," I threw my phone on the counter, "It was, in fact, nothing."

"Alright!"

My parents sandwiched me in a bone crushing goodbye hug and left for the airport. Thank God. I loved them, but they were exhausting. As soon as I saw their cab take off, I heard a knock at my door. They weren't gone five minutes and I already had Kyoya here.

"Are you ready yet?" he spun me around a couple times.

"Almost," I caught my balance, "Give me a minute?"

"Take all the time you need," Kyoya let me go.

"I'll try not to be long."

I took the world's fastest shower and skipped out on tea (which, to me, is an absolute travesty and I harbor a great shame in my heart for it). When I went to grab my bag, it wasn't in my room anymore. Huh. Kyoya. Had to have been. He must have taken my bag to the car already. I was expecting to see the limo out front, but instead, a deep blood red convertible sat behind my apartment building in the alley. I jumped over the door into the passenger seat and the two of us left Tokyo in the rearview.

"Hey, Kyoya," I asked, "What are we doing? Where are we going that requires me to pack for it?"

"You said you hadn't seen much outside of Tokyo," Kyoya told, "So, I decided to take you outside of Tokyo. Almost three hours, to be exact."

"You'll have to be a little more specific."

"There's a small resort town north of here," he went on, "It's called Karuizawa. A friend of Ranka's runs a bed and breakfast and I already reserved a room. After the past few days you've had, I figured you could use a weekend out of the city."

"Definitely," I agreed. How I've managed this far is nothing short of astounding, "Is this the surprise?"

"This is the surprise," he confirmed.

I rested my head on his shoulder, snaking my arms around his, "Thank you, Kyoya. It's like you know."

"Of course I do," Kyoya smiled a little, "Remember? I understand you better than anyone. And I could see it all over your face the other day, Lana. You were miserable. I'm proud of you for managing yesterday. Consider this the reward."

"I'm still baffled," I confessed, "But it was actually rather quiet around my apartment last night. And I kind of liked it."

"You know," he continued, "I've learned something about you in the past few months we've known each other. And no, I wasn't stalking you. I'm just very observant. It's a curse."

"Oh?" I wondered, "And what's that?"

"You often find comfort in nature, don't you?"

I thought it over for a moment. And he was right, "I never realized it until now, but yeah. I guess I do."

"Because when we went to the aquarium, you were calm," Kyoya explained, "And I had a theory. When we were with your parents all day the other day and you were starting to get tired…"

"Don't remind me."

"Anyway," he went on, "I took you to the gardens and you were perfectly content. Therefore, you proved my theory. You're the calmest when you're amongst nature."

"So, what's Karuizawa like then?" I asked, noticing a trend.

"Scenic," Kyoya said, "Quiet. You won't want to leave. I figured that'd be the best place to take you."

"It sounds perfect," I applauded, "Are we there yet?"

"Soon."

Kyoya and I continued our adventure to Karuizawa, enjoying the scenery on the way. This was a very pretty drive. I will say that much. Out of all the mini vacation destinations Kyoya could've picked within a five-hour radius of Tokyo, I had to commend him on this one. When we finally got there, we pulled up in front of an adorable little inn just on the outskirts of town. I think I was going to like it here.

"Hello, Misuzu," Kyoya greeted when we walked in.

"Kyoya!" a man in a long skirt (no doubt, Ranka's friend Kyoya was telling me about) charged us, "How are you, dear? It's so wonderful to see you again!"

"You, too."

"Hello. Who is this little cutie?" he looked me over, then answered his own question, "Oh, I know! This is the one you told me about, isn't she?"

"Yes," Kyoya nodded, "Lana, this is Misuzu. He runs this bed and breakfast."

"Hi," I spoke softly, lucky to get that much out.

"Make yourselves at home," Misuzu insisted, "And Kyoya, Ranka told me about her, too. I was told to check periodically."

"I promise you that won't be necessary," Kyoya assured, taking our key, "Lana, would you like to go up to our room?"

"I could stand to lay down for a little while," I rested my head on his shoulder. The drive took a lot out of me and with my lack of sleep from the night before, I was exhausted. Kyoya led me up the stairs and down the hall a little ways to our room. That bed. Looked incredibly inviting. Easily three times the size of my own. And I melted into it so nicely.

"I have some things I need to go check on," Kyoya sat at the edge of the bed, "Are you going to be ok here by yourself?"

"I'll be fine," I promised, "Go ahead."

"I'll be back soon."

And just like that, I was left in absolute solitude. And I loved it. I was in an absolute state of pure bliss. This is what nirvana felt like. I'm almost positive. I wasn't sure if it was the bed or the surroundings or the occasional cool breeze from the open window, but I really think I'm going to like it here. Kyoya might be right. I may not want to leave. If I do decide to stay in Japan, I might look into places around here.

Since I was by myself, I thought I'd seize the opportunity after taking a much needed nap. I knew she was up. I thought, why not call my beloved sister? She was probably just getting up. I grabbed my phone out of my bag and picked her out of my contacts.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey, Rhi," I chimed.

"Lana!" Rhiannon sang out, "Are you ok? You never call me. I always have to call you."

"I'm golden," I swore, "Mom and Dad left a few hours ago."

"And you're ok?" she sounded skeptical.

"Yeah."

"Are you on new meds or something?"

"No," I rolled my eyes, "I promise you, Rhiannon. I'm perfectly fine."

"You're not lying to me, are you?" she cut me off.

"No," I settled her, "Kyoya took me away from Tokyo for the weekend. I'm at this little B&B in this cute mountain town."

"Bless him," Rhiannon awed, "What made him do that?"

"He could tell that I needed to unwind," I explained, "He's really perceptive like that. Kyoya knows what Mom and Dad do to me. The sweetheart witnessed it firsthand."

"Oh, God," she cringed, "Mom and Dad have met Kyoya?"

"Unfortunately," I shared her sentiment, "Mom wasn't too bad, except for when they first met, but Dad…"

"I know," she agreed, "We can't even take Dad to get Chinese food. I can't imagine what he was like when he met Kyoya."

"Horrifying," I reported, "I couldn't. They were such a pain in the ass to deal with, Rhi. Luckily, Kyoya kept me pretty balanced."

"Marry him," she demanded, "Marry him now."

"No," I squeaked, "I'm not marrying anyone yet. I'm a little young for that yet, don't you think?"

"I'm just saying," Rhiannon sighed out, "If he handles Mom and Dad just so you don't have to, that's wifey material. You hold onto him and never let him go."

"Well," I blushed, "He did kind of tell me the other day that I was special to him. I don't really understand why, but I'm kind of feeling the same way. I get all nervous around him, but at the same time, he makes me so at ease. I don't know, Rhi. I'm not sure what to file this under in my brain."

"As much as you're probably going to punch me for saying this, sweetie," she told, "I'm think we may be seeing the beginnings of love here. Whether you want to admit it or not. You can lie to yourself, but you can't fool your own heart."

"I hate you," I groaned.

"It's true."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's not."

"Don't argue with me, Lana Mae," Rhiannon pulled out her mom voice, "I know it when I see it."

"You don't see anything," I pointed out.

"I'm this close to hopping a plane to Tokyo right now and kicking your ass," she scolded, "No one's saying you have to marry him now."

"I think you just did."

"Lana…"

"Sorry."

"Give the kid a shot," Rhiannon pushed, "Go forth and conquer, little sister."

"I have to go," I sat up on the bed, "I think I hear him coming up the stairs."

"Keep me posted!"

Click.

"Lana?" Kyoya kept his voice down, "Are you asleep?"

"No," I shook my head, "You missed out on that. How long were you gone?"

"Long enough," he took my hand, "Hungry?"

"Yeah," I nodded, rising to my feet.

"Good," Kyoya pulled me to his side, "Because it's just about sunset and I know a perfect place."

"Lead me then."

 **A/N: Karuizawa. That was Kyoya's big surprise. I've been wanting to tell you about Karuizawa for so long. You have no idea. I think this whole idea spawned during bomb week, to tell you the truth. Karuizawa is going to be such a magical trip. I'm so excited. I'm so happy. I'm going to go do a cartwheel now. Also, the "not quite the time for that yet" comment from last chapter? It's going to make more sense in the next one. So, kisses, hugs, and I'll see you next chapter. xx**


	17. Gentleman, Scholar, Incredible Cook

**A/N: Warning. The following chapter of Kiss, Kiss will make probably a good majority of you squeal your little hearts out. In the event that the squealing is actually audible, more than likely, a sore throat will occur. Jello mix in a glass of warm water, hot tea (personal favorites include earl grey and green tea with jasmine and a little honey), two big bottles of Smartwater are all popular remedies from someone who gets a very wicked case of strep throat every October like clockwork (Me) for your squealing sore throat. My sincerest apologies in advance and enjoy!**

Kyoya and I got into his car and took a drive a few miles out of Karuizawa. Maybe there was a good restaurant on the outskirts of town I didn't know about. I really hoped this wasn't going to be long. I was starving. But of course, after we parked the car, a long, winding hiking trail awaited us. Where in the hell was Kyoya taking me?

Finally, when we reached the end of the trail, a very beautiful, very lavish cabin sat nestled in the mountains with perfect views of the sunset. This was the restaurant I didn't know about. And by the looks of things, no one else did either. We were the only ones here. Whatever this place was, it smelled incredible. Like spices and meat that had been slow roasting all day.

"Kyoya," I asked "Where are we?"

"The family cabin," a little smirk graced his face, "There is a restaurant in town. It's rather nice, too. But I thought somewhere more private would've been better."

"The view is impeccable," I wowed, watching the sun set over the mountains, "And the smell is killing me! Rosemary...Bay leaves...Basil...A little thyme, maybe...Balsamic vinegar...and something else. I can't put my finger on it."

"Very impressive," Kyoya applauded, "I think what you were missing was the red wine."

"That's exactly what it is!" I squeaked, "How did you know that? The wine is pretty heavily masked."

"You could say I've been busy," he kept cryptic. But from Kyoya, that was almost to be expected by now. And he wonders why people think he's yakuza.

"This was the thing, wasn't it?" I guessed.

"Yes, it was," Kyoya took my cardigan without a second thought, "Now, go wait on the balcony. I'll be out in a minute."

"Ok," I walked out onto the balcony and got completely lost in this watercolor view. My god...I can understand why Kyoya brought me out here. He was right. I did find peace in nature. Granted, I was internally white knuckling this entire weekend and just waiting for the other shoe to drop. But for now? Life is ok...

"Lana," Kyoya broke me out of my self-induced trance, "I hate to take you out of your moment, but you should probably eat while it's still hot."

And I thought the scenery was beautiful. I sat down at the table and marveled over the food in front of me, "Is this braised lamb...?"

"It is."

"The last time I had braised lamb, I was still living in London," I told, "It used to be a Sunday staple. Down the road from where I lived, there was a pub on the corner that made the greatest braised lamb I've ever had in my life."

"Maybe I can change that," Kyoya sounded awfully confident.

"Hold on," I stopped him, "There's no way you made braised lamb in four hours. It needs to marinade for at least eighteen."

"And it was," he promised, "Granted, I've never made braised lamb until now, but I did do my research."

"So," I looked up from my plate, "You did all of this for me?"

"Of course, I did," Kyoya sat with me, "No one else was going to."

"It looks amazing," I took my first bite...and broke down.

"Lana," he wiped my eyes, "What is it? Why are you crying?"

"It's..." my voice quivered, "It's perfect. It's absolutely perfect."

Although blurred by my tears, I could see a little smile out of the corner of my eye, "It is, isn't it? You deserve nothing less."

"Kyoya," I came down a little, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why do you like me so much?" I took a major leap.

"What do you mean?" he took my hand under the table.

"Every girl in school practically throws their panties at you and the boys on a daily basis like you're rockstars," I pointed out, "Yet you always gravitate toward me. Why?"

"You really want to know?" I nodded once, "Because you're not like them. You're not the girls in the host club that would throw themselves at my feet if I so asked. You're more like me."

"Have the yakuza rumors about me already started?" I joked.

"No," Kyoya chuckled a bit, "When I say you're like me, you know exactly what I mean."

"That we understand each other in a way no one else can," my grip around him tightened a little, "I know. We've been saying that since day one."

"And I want to take care of you," he went on, "Because I know the kind of hell that rages in your head. It's raged in mine, too. Lana..."

All of a sudden, Kyoya got very quiet. And flustered. And if I didn't know any better, I'd think I was seeing a sight that no one has ever seen before. I had Kyoya Ootori blushing in front of me. And it was adorable...

"Kyoya," I worried, "Are you ok?"

"I've never really said this to anyone outside of family before," Kyoya took a very serious tone, "So, it's not very easy for me to say. And I'm not sure how you're going to react. You know the last thing I want to do is set you off."

"It's alright," i reassured, "I can take it. Go ahead."

"Lana, I love you."

My heart stopped. I thought I could take it. As good as this lamb was, I really didn't want to taste it a second time around. I could already feel my hands shake. Before I could completely freak, I got up, "Excuse me."

"Are you ok?"

"Fine," I squeaked, "Just need a minute."

I bolted through the house until I found the nearest bathroom. I really and truly thought I was going to throw up. I didn't think Kyoya was going to tell me that so soon. Or maybe it wasn't soon. I was just as new to this as he was. One would think that being in the host club would've knocked the awkwardness around girls out of him. Then again, his words from the library echoed through my head.

 _False cockiness turns into real confidence._

Maybe I broke through the false cockiness before it had the chance to convert itself. I don't see how. I'm not a blue blood. I'm not of any importance. I don't come from a family that's also a titan of industry. I'm just a common girl from small town middle America. I know he told me, but I still didn't understand why Kyoya would love someone like me when he could have his pick of literally anyone else. Some other girl with a pedigree. But instead, he picks me.

"Lana..." Kyoya knocked on the door, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I spoke very softly, unable to speak any louder.

"Look," he slid down the door, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just needed to get that off my chest. It's been in there for a while now. Probably since the night you called me. I wanted to tell you right then and there, but you were in bad enough shape."

Before he could spiral anymore, I opened the door and pulled him toward me. My heart was pounding, but I refused to let it hold me back. I hated to say Rhiannon was right, but dammit, she was right. I pressed my lips against Kyoya's and moved into his lap. My whole body started going into shock, but I didn't care. I had him. He had me. For a single moment that seemed to last for an eternity, we were one.

"I love you, too," I nuzzled in his chest, "It just took me a minute to realize it."

"So," Kyoya cradled me in his lap, "What does this mean for us?"

"I want us to be us," I decided, "Can we be us?"

"Would you be alright with me calling you my girlfriend?" he requested.

"I think so…" I nodded, "Do we tell the host club?"

"Not quite yet," Kyoya cringed hard, "In case you couldn't tell, Tamaki isn't exactly one to handle delicate matters with much subtlety. This would be like dropping an atomic bomb on him."

"We don't have to worry about him," I promised, "If anyone, we'd have to worry about Renge more than anything. I feel like she'd skin me in my sleep if she were to find out about us. And who knows if she's your only tsundere fangirl?"

"No," Kyoya said, "She's the only one. All the others can manage their distance. But until we can think of a way to break it to them gently, I suggest we keep it to ourselves."

"Kyoya…"

"Yes, Lana…"

"You really love me?"

"Of course. I wouldn't have told you if I didn't."

"If your family has a cabin up here," I wondered, "Why are we staying at the bed and breakfast?"

"I'm not the only one that cares about you," Kyoya ran his hand up my back, "When I told Ranka about you, I told him the bare minimum, but enough for him to show concern about you. We'll call it his way of keeping an eye on you, too."

"Really?" I chuckled, "I know Ranka can be a little much, but don't you think this is kind of extreme? Even for him?"

"Haruhi worked an entire summer there for that very reason," Kyoya told, "I wouldn't put it past him."

"Why would Ranka care that much about me?"

"Do you really have that low of an opinion of yourself?" he held me a little tighter, "A lot of people care about you, Lana. Usually right when you walk into a room. Once you get past the timid anxiousness and you're comfortable around someone, you really are a very sweet young woman to be around with the most beautifully complex thoughts. And that is why I love you."

That's twice now tonight that Kyoya's put me in tears. If there was such a thing as having no self-esteem, that'd be me all over. So, yes. I did have that low of an opinion of myself. No one can hate me more than me. As sad as it sounds, that thought is kind of one of those that get me through. Not the healthiest thing, but it works.

I was just thankful he wasn't asking me why I loved him. Don't get me wrong. I had a million and one reasons to love Kyoya. The biggest one, though? The main reason? He's my rock. Without Rhiannon being here, Kyoya's the closest thing I have. Who knows where I'd be right now if Kyoya hadn't picked me up and dusted me off so many times?

I would've been a drooling mess on the floor from the night my parents got here. I'd probably have new scars on my arm. I've heard of seeing the devil in disguise as the things you desire most, but maybe...Maybe there's such a thing as an angel in disguise as the one to put me back together. If so, I think I might have found one.

The two of us finished dinner and got back to the bed and breakfast. Sure enough, we were welcomed at the front desk. Misuzu sat with a pair of knitting needles in one of the rocking chairs in the lobby in the process of what appeared to be a black, hot pink, and light blue afghan. He shot us both a very harsh glare.

"Where have you two been?" he asked.

"We went for dinner a little way up the road," Kyoya explained, "Now, we'll be going to bed, if it's all the same."

"She is a nice girl, Kyoya," Misuzu growled.

"I know," he took my hand, "She's also tired. As am I. Good night."

And just like that, the two of us went up to our room. Even Misuzu was protective of me? And we only just met this morning. Maybe Kyoya was onto something about me. He's been pretty right so far. Why stop now. But I was tired. My feet were killing me. If I weren't so heavy, I probably would've had Kyoya carry me down the trail, but I couldn't go to bed quite yet. I got into our bed and grabbed my phone off the nightstand. I opened up my text messages and surprise, surprise, nothing there. But I needed to send one to my sister.

 _You were right. It was love. Call you in the morning._

 **A/N: So? You got a sore throat yet? If you don't, I feel like I failed you. But considering what's to come, I thought I'd give a super, super sweet chapter like this. And if you were one of the ones that had a COMPLETELY different ship, I'm sorry, but it just sank like the Titanic. There's no door. Jack let go. Kate Winslet lives to see another day. Now, this almost didn't get uploaded today. My dad was going to screw around with the Wi-Fi, but here we are! I did it! Good for you, Lumi. Hugs for you. And I'll see you next chapter. xx**


	18. Before the Extraordinary Girl's Lobotomy

**A/N: And now, to address some guest comments from the last chapter…**

 ***puts on tiny reading glasses* This particular comment comes from a guest named ShutUpAndEat, who called me both an angel AND a demon in the same breath. I can accept that. Also, they said that it was a good thing we didn't have any Kyoya v. Mori action going on. I couldn't do that. Sure, as a writer, I can be mean, cruel, and heartless at times, but I could NEVER pit my host club boys against each other. Especially not Kyoya and Mori. I love them both far too much to see either one of them get hurt. No love triangles in my stories. Although, there was that one time in one of the Black Butler installments where there was some Sebastian and Claude nonsense with the MC. Of course, Sebastian came out on top…Quite literally. But if you're wanting to know how that was resolved, you'd have to go over to "His Strange Little Girl and Her Butler, the Enigma" for that to a chapter called "The Nightmare and the Daydream", but I suggest reading the first one and all the chapters before it, so you're not completely lost.**

 **Now, last chapter was really super, super, super fluffy. I mean, Kyoya made Lana dinner. He told her he loved her. They're now a thing. But this chapter…It's going to need some warnings. We'll have mentions of Lana's self-harm problem and hospitals and needles and verbal abuse and a little bit of possible dissociation. If you're going to skip this chapter, that's fine. I understand. I'll see you next week and I love you.**

I woke up the next morning and got up to enjoy the view out my window. Kyoya and I had some beautiful views from...our...room...Wait a minute...This isn't Karuizawa. This is London...What am I doing here? I was just in Karuizawa with Kyoya. I'm not living in London anymore. I'm living in Tokyo...Right?

This looks a lot like my old dorm room in London, though. Was all of that just in my head...? It had to be! I remembered every single moment. Maybe none of that was real. Or maybe this isn't real...No. It had to have been...

"Careful, girls," a familiar voice scoffed. One of the bitches that lived in my dorm, Victoria. I remember her. She gave me ulcers. She was the stereotypical, run of the mill bitch. And I was her favorite whipping post, "Don't get too close. You'll catch her madness. Bloody twit."

I just wanted to scream at her and call Victoria every name in the book. But I couldn't even speak. Of course, she saw that as a golden opportunity to make my life an even bigger living hell than it already was. Because my day wasn't awful enough.

"Aww...Look at her..." Victoria tormented, "Dead from the neck up can't even speak! Thank God. Maybe my IQ can recover."

Victoria and her friends proceeded to laugh at my loss of speech and go about their day. Where were my boys when I needed them? Where in the hell was my damn host club? As I would any other day, I went down to the councilor's office. Brandi and I were on good terms. I could trust her with anything.

"Lana," Brandi greeted me, "Hello, darling. Is everything alright?"

"I'm not sure," I sat down. Hey! I could talk again, "I'm kind of fuzzy. It's been a weird morning."

"Will you show me your arms?" Brandi asked so sweetly.

"Why?" I started sweating. She's never asked me that before.

"Just as I suspected..." she sighed, taking my hands, "Look, Lana, sweetheart, you know we all love you and we care about you, right?"

Her words put an immediate pit in my stomach. I had heard this speech before. And I knew from that moment on, I never wanted to hear it again. Because I knew what was going to happen next. Two rather large gentlemen appeared behind me. In complete horror, I managed to barely get one word out, "No..."

"Lana," Brandi insisted, "They can give you the kind of help you need. I promise. This is for your own good."

"No!" I stood my ground, "I'm not going back! I don't need to!"

"You see?" she ignored my pleas, "She's completely delusional. She's been going on about some host club."

"You did say she'd be difficult," one of the guys spoke.

"I'm not going!" I snapped.

"You did come prepared, right?" Brandi hoped.

"Already been done," the other said, "She didn't even notice. Won't be long now."

"What did you do?" I shot him a glare, "What did...you...give...?"

All of a sudden, I got very light headed very quickly. I started to feel completely numb. Sedatives...Damn...I should've known. I remember this day like the back of my hand. The day Brandi completely betrayed my trust. And of course, I didn't have any say in the matter whether or not I wanted to see a doctor. I didn't! I could manage on my own. I didn't need to use different chemicals to keep my imbalanced ones in check.

When I woke up again, I was alone. In a very bright white room. An all too familiar bright white room. Where I was strapped to my bed...Fantastic. And I could feel a bite guard in my mouth. Even better. This was my hospital room from my first trip here. I didn't need to be here. I thought I was getting better...

"Is she going to be alright?" a husky, yet oddly soft voice broke the silence.

"Rhi...?" I looked over at my sister sitting in the chair next to me, "Rhiannon, get me out of here. I'm fine."

"We don't know what's going on with her," a man's voice this time...Wait a minute...That wasn't my usual doctor. Instead of filling me with a feeling of dread and annoyance, his voice melted in my ear, going down like a warm cup of tea on a cold, rainy day. Instead of making me want to punch a wall, his voice was so soothing. Almost like a lullaby.

"Kyoya!" I squeaked, "Thank God...I wasn't imagining you."

"She's been going on in her sleep about some host club," Rhiannon told, "And somewhere called Ouran Academy. Even talked about having our parents visit. And going to watch the jellyfish swim. I think she might have mentioned a mermaid once or twice. I don't even know where she would get something like that."

"What do you mean?" I defended, "I told you all about the host club! Their vice president is right there!"

"Will she wake up soon?" she took my hand. I wasn't sleeping! I've been trying to say something for the past twenty minutes, but everyone seems to be ignoring me!

"We don't know," Kyoya said, "She did pull through the surgery, though. All we're waiting on now is for Lana to wake up."

I am awake! Hold on...SURGERY?! When in the hell did I have surgery?! And on what?! Kyoya, I'm right here! I'm awake! Why aren't you listening to me?

"We don't usually do lobotomies," he went on, "It's more or less an outdated procedure. But Lana is an extreme case."

LOBOTOMY?! They took out a piece of my brain?! Who would've given them consent for that?! The only one here to speak on my behalf is Rhiannon and I know better. We've had that talk before. Right when I got diagnosed. She had come home to make sure I was ok. Imagine having a ten-year-old asking about lobotomies. I knew it killed her inside, but she promised me that if it ever came down to it, she'd never allow something like that to happen to me.

I felt Kyoya sit next to me, gently putting his hand to my cheek. Strangely enough, it offered almost no comfort to me. Usually, Kyoya's touch was such a cure all for me. Now, it just made me want to dry heave up a storm. All I wanted was for him to hold me in his arms, but for whatever reason, I couldn't move. I couldn't even fight the restraints.

"Such a shame," he sighed, "She's an extraordinary girl in an ordinary world."

"She can't seem to get away," Rhiannon's grip tightened a little.

Why did that sound so familiar?

"Don't worry, Lana," Kyoya stroked my cheek, "We're going to make you better. If the surgery didn't work, we have other methods."

Something about the dark, unsettling grin on his face terrified me. No...That wasn't him. That wasn't my Kyoya. I know what my Kyoya's scary faces looked like. That wasn't one of them. Kyoya...or whoever was pretending to be Kyoya, got down next to me, whispering very sinisterly in my ear, "We can just take your brain out and put a new one in. I can fine tune it to suit me and what I want. Maybe this time you won't be so screwed up and I won't have to deal with you. Day in and day out. All the whining and complaining and the looks people give when I have to bring you down from a panic attack in public. It's like looking at a dog going into the vet that's about to be euthanized. And I have a social standing to uphold. I can't do that with someone like you."

But...Kyoya...

I just wanted to cry. He had never spoken to me like this before. And I never thought he would. He told me he loved me. He said I was special to him. Why would he say something like that, but then turn around and tell me how screwed up I am. I already know that, but I didn't realize how much it affected him, too. I knew it. I knew I was too screwed up in the head for someone like him.

I don't know why I even thought a relationship with Kyoya would've ever worked. I'm not a girlfriend to him. I'm an obligation. I'm a burden. I've never wanted to hold my x-acto knife in my hand so bad in my life. I knew there were better ways to handle my problems, but I needed that little twinge of pay to remind myself I'm still alive. I drifted out of consciousness again, giving up all hope, keeping my fingers crossed that I wouldn't wake up.

Instead, I woke up in an absolute panic. At four in the morning. In the bed and breakfast in Karuizawa. With Kyoya sleeping next to me. Dreaming...I was only dreaming. Of some other place and time. Or was this the dream? Had my mind created this place to protect me from myself? I brought my cute doctor into my dream with me to take care of me the way I wanted him to? I jumped out of bed, not sure what to believe anymore.

"Lana?" Kyoya woke up, "What are you doing up? Come back to bed."

"No!" I snapped.

"What's wrong?" he came over to the chair I was balled up in.

"No!" I growled, "I've seen through you. You're not even you! I'm probably in the middle of surgery right now. You're a figment of my imagination."

"Lana," Kyoya tried to get closer, but I wasn't letting that happen, "Lana, I'm not a figment of your imagination and you're not in surgery. You're in Karuizawa with me. We left yesterday."

"Sounds like my generic imagination," I kept my guard up.

"You have a generic imagination?" he sat a safe distance from me, "Alright. If you have such a generic imagination, can I show you something?"

I was hesitant, but I nodded, "Ok. What do you want to show me?"

Slowly, he inched closer to me and took my arm ever so gently, pushing my sleeve up. Underneath my sleeve was a faint outline on my forearm, "Do you see this?"

"What is it?"

"This is a lotus blossom I drew on you," Kyoya explained, "This came from my imagination while you were sleeping the other night. If your imagination is so generic, you couldn't have thought of that."

He had a point. And if he was right about my arm...then...I wasn't still dreaming. I wasn't in a self-induced trance that protected me from the thought of my surgery. That I wasn't even having. And I said all those awful things to...

I fell into Kyoya's arms and bawled, "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, Lana," he reassured, "You're alright. Nightmare?"

I couldn't even talk in between sobs. So I just nodded, hiding my face in his chest. He didn't need to see me ugly cry. It was bad enough he had to hear it. I've never felt like such a bitch in my entire life. And it couldn't have happened to a sweeter person.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

"God, no," I hiccupped.

"Ok," Kyoya held me tight against his chest, "Whatever it was, it's all over now. It's just you and me. You're ok."

"Kyoya," I spoke softly, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Lana," he cradled me, brushing my hair out of my eyes, "What is it?"

"Would you change anything about me?" I worried with baited breath.

"One thing," Kyoya said, "I'd change your mental instability, so you could be ok. So you wouldn't have to suffer like this anymore."

"What if you had that opportunity?" I went on, "You could cure me, but it meant changing every other aspect of who I am? Wuld you do it?"

"And lose you?" Kyoya kissed the top of my head, "Of course not. I love you, Lana. No matter your imperfections. I will gladly take your bad with your good. The latter outweighs the former by leaps and bounds. You don't have to worry about me. I'm not giong anywhere. Now, you and I are going to go back to bede and I'm going to put your headphones on. Is that ok with you?"

"Ok," I took his hand and he led me back to our bed. Kyoya laid me down on the bed and I curled into his chest. I still felt like a bitch for what I had said to him, but at this point, I'm just glad he didn't leave me. Or that he was actually real.

Kyoya took my headphones off the nightstand, put them in my ears, and started scrolling through my playlist, "Anything in particular you'd like?"

"Surprise me," I cuddled closer.

And oh, did he surprise me. Honestly, I couldn't have picked anything better for myself. I don't know how he knew it, (because he's Kyoya. And Kyoya knows everything.) but somehow, he knew I wanted show tunes (especially American Idiot) when I wasn't doing the best like on a night such as this.

The violin and cello intro resonated through my body and into my toes until that acoustic guitar kicked in. And I listened closely to the lyrics. I guess Kyoya really wasn't going anywhere. I wasn't sure if the song choice was deliberate or not, but it was very reassuring. I rested my head on his chest and started drifting out of it.

 _My beating heart belongs to you..._

 _I walked for miles 'til I found you..._

 _I'm here to honor you._

 _If I lose everything in the fire..._

 _I'm sending all my love to you..._

 **A/N: Wild ride, huh? It's ok. It's just a dream. She's ok. Everything's fine. Just a really bad dream. How twisted would it have been of me to end it there? I couldn't do that. That would've made me the biggest dick in the world and I couldn't. I don't have the heart to. And I'm so sorry, but this has been rattling in the back of my brain for a while now. My own heart hurts a little, too. But fret not! We'll be back soon. Happy chapter next week and we'll be back at Ouran the following week. But this was a really interesting chapter to me. It's not only digging into Lana's mind a little deeper, but it's a glimpse into her past. The kind of hell she was forced to deal with when she was living in London. I kind of want to do an in depth analysis of her dream. Because there are little Easter eggs through the chapters. Why certain things are the way they are. Every once in a while, I like to write a trippy chapter like this. Why not? If it wasn't your cup of tea, I'm sorry and I'll try to make up for it next time. Next time, we're going to be going into Karuizawa a little more. And a certain someone's telecommunications device is going to be blowing up. *insert cheesy Michael Bay-esque explosion graphic here* I promise it'll be nice next week. See you next chapter. xx**


	19. The Hot Spring of Karuizawa

**A/N: Alright. I think I owe you guys an apology for last chapter. I still feel really bad about it. I mean, don't get me wrong. It was a great chapter and it's probably one of my favorites I've written, but I didn't realize the fallout would be so bad. I didn't mean for it to make you curl up into the fetal position. I didn't mean to go full Moffat. One should never go full Moffat. To clarify, no. She didn't hallucinate the host club. They're there. Everything's ok. Everything's going to be fine. And to make up for me being the asshole last chapter, how about some fluff, fluff? Will that make everything better? Go into your kitchen, make a cup of tea, come back here, and we'll just have a good old time. Ok? We good? Alright. Let's go on, shall we?**

After last night, I wasn't sure if I even wanted to wake up. I didn't want to think about that ever again. I'm sure my douchebag brain will give me a not so friendly remind of it someday, but until then, I'm just going to suppress the hell out of it, no matter how unhealthy it is. Eventually, I swallowed my pride and opened my eyes. Karuizawa. Kyoya. Everything where it should be.

"Good morning," Kyoya's lips went for my left temple, "Are you alright?"

"I've been better," I snuggled into him, "I'm exhausted."

"I'm so sorry, Lana," he apologized, "I really thought this trip would've been good for you. I thought that if I got you somewhere quiet and peaceful like this, you would've been ok."

"It has been good for me," I assured, "Other than the night terrors last night, this has been the best I've been in quite some time. Trust me. It was good for me."

"Do you want to go back to Tokyo early?" Kyoya asked.

"Tomorrow," I put my foot down, "You were right. I don't want to go. I love it here."

"I'm glad to hear you say that," he held me a little tighter.

"Hey, Kyoya," I sighed out, "Can we do something not too terribly strenuous today? I want to get out of here, but I don't have much energy to do anything."

"Considering you slept for most of the day," he teased, "Sure. We can do something low key today."

"Did I really sleep all day?" I looked toward our window and saw the sun starting to set over the mountains, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Kyoya settled me, "Actually, it's perfect. There's a very beautiful, very serene hot spring not too far from here. Would you like to join me?"

"I'd love to."

A hot spring sounded amazing. The warm water would be like a cup of tea for the rest of my body. And in the sweet, clean, night air over Karuizawa? I'm pretty sure it can't get much better than that. And of course, because it's something involving me, things can never go smoothly.

"Excuse me," the guy stopped us at the door, "This isn't a co-ed pool."

"I'm sorry," Kyoya kept a held of my hand while I did my best not to completely fall apart, "But I'm her handler. She suffers from frequent, severe panic attacks. By the looks of things, she's actually on the verge of one now. Unless you have someone else that's equipped to take care of her, we're not to be separated."

He turned a bright shade of red out of sheer embarrassment, "I'm sorry. Go on."

"Thank you," Kyoya chirped, bringing me along with him.

I stood in complete awe of him, "You can talk your way out of anything, can't you?"

"It's a curse," he shrugged, peeling his shirt off. And then, it hit me like a Mack truck. Other than him being almost blindingly pale, Kyoya practically shined in the moonlight. And my insecurity kicked back up again.

"Are you sure about this?" I worried, "I mean…I think I'll be ok by myself."

"But then, that takes you away from me," Kyoya pulled me into the water with him, "It's alright, Lana. I promise."

My God, this did feel nice…It wasn't too hot. They were naturally heated. I couldn't have asked for more. My all of a sudden Greek god boyfriend pulled me into his lap and I nuzzled into his chest. Yes. This was needed. This was sorely needed, "Are you sure I didn't ruin this trip?"

"Positive."

Ring, ring.

And the moment was over. I reached behind us and dug around in my bag for my phone. Then, I remembered a certain text message I sent to a certain someone before going to bed last night. I knew who was on the other end. And I knew exactly what was about to happen. I cautiously slid my finger across the screen, "Hey, Rhi…"

"Hi, Lana," I could hear her voice drenched in excitement, "How are you? Doing well, I'm assuming?"

"Well..."

"I believe you have a text message to explain," she cut me off, "What is going on with you two?"

"First of all," I had something weighing heavy on my mind and I needed to get it out, "Remember when I was ten? I had just gotten my diagnosis. That thing I asked you about?"

"The thing..." Rhiannon thought it over, "The lobotomy thing?"

"Yeah," I rested my head on Kyoya's chest, "That still holds true, right? You wouldn't let that happen? No matter how badly they said I needed it?"

"Of course not," she promised, "Lana, are you having night terrors again? I thought you were done with those."

"It was just the one," I assured, "Don't worry. I'm fine."

"You sure?" Rhiannon worried.

"Yeah," I nodded, "Kyoya talked me down. I'm ok."

"Speaking of Kyoya..." And she's back, "What was with that text you sent me? You never tell me I'm right. In fact, you make it a point to never tell me I'm right. But here you are. What the hell?"

"Kyoya," I had lost any and all energy I had and gave him my phone, putting it on speaker first, "Talk to my sister."

"Don't you dare hand me off, Lana Mae," she scolded viciously, "I swear to God, I'll..."

"Hello, Rhiannon," Kyoya took the bullet. And with those two little words, they were enough to shut her up.

"Hello, nurse..." she swooned, quickly regaining her composure, "Hi, Kyoya. Can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead," he allowed, giving me a nonverbal sign for an explanation of why the hell she would've called him nurse.

"Later," I mouthed to him, feeling all of the blood in my body rush to my face.

"What's your current emotion toward my little sister?" Rhiannon wondered with a good idea of the answer.

"Right now?" Kyoya looked down at me, gently kissing my forehead, "I'd say I'm quite content. Thank you for asking."

"Dammit," she grumbled, "Just what I need. Another smartass. Lana? You still there?"

"Yep," I giggled a little, "I haven't gone anywhere."

"I'm just going to cut to the chase here," Rhiannon was so done with us and I loved it, "Are you two a thing now? You're practically attached at the hip."

I looked up at Kyoya, almost asking permission, "We can tell Rhiannon, right? It's not like she'll blow up like the boys will."

"Fine by me," he gave his blessing.

"Yeah," I confirmed, "We're a thing."

"YAY!" If I didn't know any better, I'd think she had party poppers on standby for this very moment. And honestly, it wouldn't surprise me.

"I'm assuming you approve of me, Rhiannon," Kyoya figured.

"I don't know," she calmed down a little, "Lana, text me a picture."

"Ok," I tried to get my phone back from Kyoya, but he already had the camera open and his lips on my cheek, making me blush even harder, "Kyoya!"

"That should be a good enough explanation," he hit send, "Will this do?"

"That picture's adorable!" Rhiannon squealed, followed by a long, silent pause. Not good, "Lana…"

"Yeah?"

"Where are you that Kyoya's topless?" she struggled for breath, "I may or may not end up with a nosebleed."

"We're at a hot spring," I explained, "My body felt like collapsing, so here we are."

"Hey, Kyoya," Rhiannon drawled, "Do you have any brothers?"

"Rhiannon!" I snapped, "You really have no shame, do you?"

"Don't listen to her. Answer the question."

"I do," he confirmed, "I have two older brothers. One's married and the other has a girlfriend."

"Dammit," she grumbled, "Can't say I didn't try."

"Even if one of them was single," I rolled my eyes, "You can't go after any of Kyoya's brothers. That'd make my boyfriend my brother-in-law and there is no way in hell that's happening. I'm officially calling dibs."

"Fine," Rhiannon pouted, "Well, honey, I have to go. I have some errands to run before work. I'll try to call you when I'm on break, ok? Make sure you kids aren't making the beast with two backs."

"Rhiannon!" I screeched.

"I'm only joking," she settled me, "I love you!"

"Love you, too," I growled, "Even though I'm not sure how well that statement holds up right now."

"You know you love me!"

Click.

I banged my head on Kyoya's chest, "Just once. Once! That's all I ask. I want for my sister to have a little bit of shame."

"She's kind of spastic, isn't she?" Kyoya wrapped his arms around me.

"You get used to it," I promised, "It takes a little time, but you do get used to it."

"Will I?" he stole a quick kiss from me, "By the way, could you explain to me why Rhiannon called me nurse?"

"It's a thing from this cartoon we watched when we were younger," I told, "Rhiannon would put it on for me when I got home from school and it was time for me to take a nap. Every time the boys would see the pretty nurse walk in, they'd say that exact thing. And now, it's kind of become our thing for whenever we see someone attractive. It's nothing but a compliment."

"I'll take it," Kyoya cradled me, "Such a shame we'll have to leave tomorrow."

"Do we have to?" I whined, kicking my feet in the water, "I don't want to."

"Unfortunately," he ran his fingers over my scars, "What are you doing next weekend?"

"I don't know," I shrugged, "I need to get around to doing the laundry and doing my grocery shopping, clean my apartment. Other than that, I'm pretty open. Why?"

"You think you'd want to do this next weekend, too?" Kyoya offered.

"Minus my nightmare?"

"Minus your nightmare."

"Ok," I nodded, "I'm in. Let's do that."

"Alright then," we kissed on it, "And now, we have this question to deal with. Would you like to stay at the bed and breakfast or the cabin?"

"You know what?" I decided, "Surprise me."

"Really?" Kyoya gasped a little, "You hate surprises, Lana, and you're telling me to surprise you?"

"Why not?" I brushed him off, "I think if it's from you, I can handle a little surprise. You know what will and won't set me off. Small gestures are fine. Grand gestures, on the other hand? A little notice is required."

"Noted," he pulled me out of the water, "We should be going before Misuzu sends a SWAT team for us."

"He wouldn't actually do that," I worried, "Right…?"

"Probably not," Kyoya wrapped me up in a warm, fluffy towel to combat the chilly snap of the breeze on my wet skin, "But still. We shouldn't make him worry."

"Ok."

I could get used to this. Just Kyoya and me in the mountains. I'd be able to live happily in that cabin for the rest of my life by myself. I'd have no problem with that. That was always the plan. But that was before Kyoya happened. Before he came into my life. Considering it's his family's cabin, I guess I wouldn't be too terribly opposed to him being there, too.

 **A/N: I'm not sure why, but I've been able to crank out Ouran chapters like they're nothing lately. Good for me. If I had a clue of what I was going to do for next week, I could probably have that chapter whipped out already. Maybe I could actually go back to writing original stuff simultaneously. No. Not until November. You guys don't know about November yet. But you will. Unless you came here from something like the Black Butler fic. I'm pretty sure they're the only ones who know what November feels like. Because I didn't start posting for Fullmetal Alchemist until that December. But regardless. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Hopefully, the literal warm and fluffiness of this chapter made up for the cruel harshness of last week's that I still feel guilty about. Unfortunately, we're about to say goodbye to Karuizawa and go back to Ouran Academy. And given Lana and Kyoya's newfound relationship, God only knows what kind of shenanigans that's going to spark. See you next chapter! xx**


	20. The Return to Ouran

**A/N: Hi, guys. Quick thing first. I already told the Dramatical Murder children this, but I'm going to be skipping next week's update. I'm sorry, but I'm going on a trip in our favorite rocket ship next Monday. I'll be going to see the family. I'll be gone all next week. Now, you get into the story and I'm going to slide down to the end, ok? Weeeeeeeeee…..**

I knew this was coming eventually. I just wish it didn't have to. Packing my clothes back into my overnight felt so bittersweet. I didn't want our weekend in Karuizawa to end. But alas...Here we are. Kyoya and I descended the stairs and put our room key on the front desk.

"You're not leaving already, are you?" Misuzu's heart shattered.

"I'm afraid so," Kyoya broke the news, "We do have school tomorrow. However, we may be coming back next weekend, though."

"Really?" he returned to his usual, cheerful self.

"It's quite possible," Kyoya took my hand, "That is, if it's alright with you first."

Misuzu took me into his arms without a second thought, "I'll always keep a room open for you, Lana. Anytime you want to come back, you're more than welcome to."

"Thank you, Misuzu," I nodded, "We'll see each other again soon."

On that note, Kyoya threw our bags in the back of his car and we began our trek back to Tokyo. I loved being in Karuizawa, but being back home? Nothing quite like my rut. I missed my little apartment. It might not have been very much, but it was home to me.

"Lana?" Kyoya cuddled me, "Are you going to be alright? Do you need anything?"

"Actually," I sighed out, "I need to do a little shopping. I'm out of a few things. You wouldn't want to do something silly like come with me, would you?"

"Do you want me to go?" he offered.

"If you want to."

Kyoya pulled me onto my feet, holding me tight against his chest, "I'll gladly go with you."

From what I've heard, I was to understand that Kyoya hated any aspect of shopping, no matter what it wasw for. However, I managed to get him to do it twice now with no problem. I knew Kyoya had some sort of mystical, other worldly power over me. But maybe...did I have a spell on him, too?

All that aside, he and I made it to the supermarket just down the street from my building. I loved my supermarket. There was always a sale somewhere. And me being as broke as what I was on a monthly basis, this place always knew what I needed and what price I needed it at.

"What do you need?" Kyoya asked.

I went over my list in my head, "I'm out of milk. That's kind of a high priority item. I'm low on sugar. I need more tea."

"Lana," he scoffed, "I've seen your tea cabinet. You don't need any tea."

"But what if there's a kind I don't have?" I wondered.

"You have all of the tea in China," Kyoya teased, "Quite literally. I'm sure the market hasn't gotten anything new in."

"I just want to see," I pushed our cart toward the coffee and tea aisle and looked over all of the brightly colored boxes and tins. That was one of my favorite parts of being in Japan. Granted, I had my Twinings and that wasn't going to change. I had already sold my soul to them, but seeing all of the various tea flavors made my little heart sing.

"I thought I heard you two over here," a sweet, familiar voice chimed, making my stomach drop to the floor. It was ok. Someone was going to find out eventually. And if anyone was going to have a rational reaction out of everyone in the club, it was going to be her.

"Hello, Haruhi," Kyoya took the bullet.

"Lana, I can understand. She lives around the corner," she gave him a look, "But what are you doing here, Kyoya-senpai?"

Here we go, "Merely helping Lana with her shopping."

Haruhi was smart. There's no way she wouldn't see through that. I know I shouldn't doubt Kyoya's ability to talk his way out of virtually anything, but when there's actual proof right in front of her? There's no talking out of that, "Oh. Ok. That's awfully nice of you. Just in case you don't want people to get the wrong idea, though, you're not the only host here."

"Oh?" I could see it in his eyes. Kyoya had a plan.

"You know how he is," Haruhi shrugged, "He's hopeless."

"Commoners do fascinate him," he agreed, "So much for this being a leisurely trip. Thank you, Haruhi."

"No problem," she smiled, "I should probably go find him before he gets himself into trouble. See you guys tomorrow."

Haruhi turned on her heel and left Kyoya and I to finish up. I couldn't believe that had gone so smoothly. Then again, it's not like we ran into Tamaki. That probably would've been closer to disastrous. Kyoya took care of my groceries and the two of us went back to my apartment, "It's a good thing we got out of there when we did."

"What do you mean?" I threw the milk in the fridge and put a kettle on.

"Seeing Tamaki explode isn't exactly pretty," Kyoya told, "And to see him do it in public would be hell for all involved. I refuse to put you through that."

"Thank you."

"Now," he pulled me to his hip, "I'm going home. Do you need anything else before I go?"

"I could use another kiss," I blushed.

"My pleasure," Kyoya pressed his lips against mine ever so gently, sending a tingle all the way to my toes, "I'll see you in the morning."

"Ok," I didn't want him to let me go. I'd be ok without him, but I really didn't want him to go. It'd be strange not sleeping with him after having him all weekend. This past weekend was sorely needed. That's for sure. After the hellish week I had, a weekend in Karuizawa with Kyoya was exactly what I needed. Minus my nightmare. But I wasn't even going to let that ruin it. Aside from that, our trip couldn't have been more perfect.

With my elated mood taking over, I had a strange boost of energy. It'd probably take a minute or two for my kettle to boil. I could get something done, I'm sure. My fridge could stand to be cleaned out. I could easily have that done by the time the water's ready. But before I knew it, I had my entire kitchen spotless. And in the course of only ten minutes. How? I will never know. It was nice to see everything so sparkling, though. I rewarded myself with a cup of oolong tea and went straight to bed.

The next morning, I woke up and looked at my phone like I did every other morning. Usually, I'd find my lock screen as a picture of Rhiannon and me from my last visit in the US, but instead, I found something different. Two little words on my screen made all the difference.

 _Good morning. :)_

 _KO_

I loved waking up to that. My little heart palpitation to start the day. I loved even more that, in some strange, alternate universe, I actually had him. Anytime, any day. I grabbed my toast out of the toaster and headed out the door to see my alternate universe. I missed the familiarity of the halls of Ouran Academy. It meant seeing the family again. The one that I still didn't choose, but even better, they chose me. That's what felt like home to me. If only I had the host club when I was still living in London. I never would've left.

It got to be that magical time of day in the middle of the afternoon that I had loathed at one point. But now? Biology became my favorite class of the day very quickly. Honestly, I could care less about what was actually going on. They only put me in advanced biology because I had a gap in my schedule. Little did I know, I'd have the best tutor in the world for it.

"Hi," I couldn't keep a smile off my face if I wanted to.

"Hello," Kyoya took his desk behind me like he did every other day. And before I knew it, I had a neatly folded piece of paper tossed over my shoulder, the deep blue ink bleeding through.

 _Are you doing ok?_

I grabbed my pink pen out of my bag and shook my head a little.

 _Golden. It's been a rare good day._

I folded it back along the lines Kyoya had it and tossed it behind me. I knew exactly why today had been so unproblematic. Because it started so well. And it was all Kyoya's fault. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to take that credit. I watched our note fly over my shoulder again.

 _Good enough to tell the host club about us?_

That was a very, very loaded question. I did a quick gauging of where my current mental state was at. I was fully medicated. I hadn't had a single panic twinge all day. My brain's been pretty level. I wanted to keep it that way.

 _Not quite. We'll give it a couple weeks or so for them to figure it out._

 _Toss…_

 _Toss…_

I unfolded our note again, curious to what he would say to that.

 _I understand. We won't tell them yet._

I had another question burning a hole in the back of my brain. The answer terrified the hell out of me, but I wasn't going to let it ruin the good day streak I was on. Everything was good for a change. I wanted it to stay good. My good day wasn't going anywhere.

 _Do you think Haruhi told Tamaki she saw us yesterday?_

My stomach turned and tumbled while I waited for Kyoya's response. This was worse than seeing the three dot bubble in a text message. At this point, I'd almost rather that. No. Good day, Lana. Remember? Good day.

 _Doubtful. Haruhi wouldn't do that. Besides, she knows we have leverage, too._

That was oddly settling. Wait a minute…

 _We do?_

 _Think about it, Lana. Who else was with her?_

 _And? Tamaki follows Haruhi around like a lost puppy anyway. Where is the surprise in this?_

 _Exactly. And why do you think that may be?_

All of a sudden, I felt so stupid as the realization punched me square in the jaw.

 _You think she finally caved?_

 _You did._

Right then and there, I turned into a puddle. Damn near a weeping mess. Kyoya had such a talent for making me change colors and making my heart go all pitter patter. Upon first meeting him, I never would've guessed that any of this was in him. But my God, was I happy it was.

 _How did I get so lucky?_

The bell finally ran and Kyoya put our note in my books, "I'll see you at the club. Read this when you're by yourself."

"Ok."

I swallowed the lump trying to make its way up my throat and ran straight for the bathroom. I knew I was going to be late for class, but I didn't care. I needed to know why I had to read this alone. I just hoped to all things holy that it wasn't Kyoya breaking up with me. Already? We had only officially been together since Friday night. I locked myself in the stall and quickly unfolded the paper.

 _Your first mistake was wandering into a seemingly abandoned music room. Your second mistake was coming back. By the looks of it, the bell is going to ring soon. I love you._

It's times like these where I'm glad I listened. Kyoya's silver tongue had translated itself onto paper and made my heart swell and beat out of control. Now, I understand why I had to read this when I was by myself. I wiped my eyes and headed to my last class. Fortunately, my teachers had been informed about my…situation…And I could write my being late off as having a panic attack.

Technically, I could classify that as a small one, but it made me so happy. I didn't even listen to whatever my teacher was talking about. I was disgustingly lovesick and falling to pieces in the greatest way. I had better things on my mind than history. My own personal history was better than Imperial Japan.

My high lasted well after the final bell rang as I hightailed it to the host club. Right now, there was nothing I wanted more than to sneak off with Kyoya while the others were distracted with their respective guests. He had certainly earned it after making me cry in the girls' bathroom after biology. But the tears were completely worth it. When I pushed the doors open, almost immediately, I was ambushed by my favorite pair of twins.

"Lana!" they squeaked, sandwiching me tight, "We missed you."

"I can see that," I struggled for air.

"How have you been?" Hikaru asked.

"Yeah," Kaoru followed suit, "What did you do on break?"

"Well," I sat down, finally getting out of their embrace, "My parents came to visit me."

"We already knew about that!" the two harmonized.

"They left on Friday, though," Kaoru pointed out, "What else?"

I wasn't going to tell them about Karuizawa. Kyoya and I were still kept under wraps for the time being. Telling Hikaru and Kaoru would be a disaster, "I didn't really do much. Did my grocery shopping. Some laundry."

"Doubt it," Hikaru sat next to me, "You can't tell us you just sat around your house twiddling your thumbs. There's no way."

"Do you really expect someone like me to venture out much?" I chuckled, doing my best to bury the truth, "Hi. I'm Lana. I think we just met."

"Really?" Kaoru grinned darkly, exchanging a quick glance with his brother.

"Then, why are you blushing?" Hikaru wondered.

Was I really? I put my hands to my cheeks and sure enough, they were pretty warm. Dammit! I knew I wasn't going to be able to keep anything from those two. Hikaru and Kaoru could go into private investigation and make a killing. They almost knew as much as Kyoya did and Kyoya knew everything.

"Hikaru, Kaoru," my saving grace barked at them, "Leave her alone. Lana, come here for a moment."

I made a beeline for Kyoya, who by the looks of things, was currently balancing the host club's books before the doors opened, "Did you need me for something?"

"I'm sorry," he apologized, taking my hand under his desk, "You know how those two are. We don't call them the mischievous type for no reason."

"I know," I assured, settling down, "They can't help it. They're two halves of a whole idiot."

"That's my girl," Kyoya shot me a wink.

"Hey," I whispered, "Watch how loud you say that. God only knows who may be listening at the wrong time."

"Don't worry, Lana," he promised, "We're fine."

And just like that, the doors to the host club opened and the guests started pouring in. I sat back by Kyoya's desk, waiting for him to come back for me and our afternoon to go as planned. Besides, I still had to give him the verbal lashing for my so-called mistake. I would never regret ever walking through those doors. That wasn't a mistake. It was more a blessing in disguise.

As I watched Kyoya's hands work quickly, occasionally taking a break from analyzing the finances to doodle in the margins of his notebook, the doors flew open and a very tall, very loud student (from a different school, going by her uniform) stood in the doorway with two others behind her, "Where is Haruhi?"

"Boss!" the twins screeched, "Lobelia's here!"

"Mori," Kyoya ordered, "Take Lana. Hide her."

"On it," Mori took my hand.

"Kyoya," I fought him a little, "What the hell is going on?"

"Don't worry," he settled me, "Everything's going to be ok. We'll take care of it."

"Hello..." she took me away from Mori, "You're new..."

"Mori," Kyoya reiterated, "Get her out of here."

"Oh, no," she shot him down, shoving him over, "I'd like to speak with you."

"Um..." And I was having such a good day, "Ok..."

"Tell me," she took my face in her hands, "What is a beautiful, young maiden like you doing in a cesspool like this?"

"Well," I spoke softly, "They're my friends..."

"Oh, my dear," she pulled me close, "You poor, poor thing. You're completely under their spell, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry," I wiggled out of her arms, "Who are you?"

"You can call me Beni-bara," she insisted, "I'm here to rescue you."

"Rescue me?" I wondered.

"You may be too far gone," Beni-bara cradled me, "These idiots are just using you to satisfy their appetites."

"They are?" I thought it over. No. There was no way. Because why would Kyoya have done what he has for me? Or any of them? None of that seemed forced. It all seemed so genuine. But what if it was true? If they were just using me. Does that mean…Does that mean Karuizawa…was all a lie?

"Excuse me, Beni-bara," Kyoya stopped her, pulling me away from her, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave and to stop terrorizing our guests. Mori…"

"Yeah," Mori took my hand and brought me into one of the dressing rooms in the back. He sat on the floor with me, pulling me into his lap, "Lana, are you ok?"

"Could I be alone please?" I requested, barely speaking above a whisper.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

I effectively kicked Mori out of my dressing room and breathed through my existential panic attack. Was I only here to be the host club's designated damsel in distress? Was that all I was good for? The poor, little girl that needed to be saved and they'd all be the ones to do the saving? Granted, I knew I was beyond broken, but for them to use that for their own personal gain? That'd just be kind of sick. I listened intently to whatever was about to happen while I'm not there.

"Why would we be using her?" Kyoya defended.

"Why would you be hiding her away?" Beni-bara retaliated, "Don't you think she deserves to know the truth?"

"She does know the truth," Tamaki stepped in, "You need to leave."

"Not without her," she demanded, "Where did you hide her?"

"I already told you, Beni-bara," Haruhi reminded, "I'm not transferring to Lobelia."

"Your ship has already sailed," Beni-bara brushed her off, "I'm looking at something much bigger and better."

"I'm not going to ask you again," Kyoya put his foot down, "Please leave."

"We'll leave once you admit that you're using her!" she growled.

"We're not," Kyoya went from defensive to downright pissed and offended very quickly, "I, for one, happen to love her very much."

"Me, too," Tamaki chimed in.

"Us, too," the twins joined in.

"And us," Honey tweeted.

Hold on. Kyoya just professed his love for me to the entire host club and no one said a word? That's shocking. And we thought they would've had a coronary. But what really hit me hard? The fact that they all agreed. Maybe they weren't using me. Then, why would Beni-bara be getting to me so much?

"You all disgust me," she scoffed, "This won't be the last time you see me. I will be back for her. I'm disappointed in you, Haruhi. I don't understand how you can stand to be around these mouth breathing morons. But I will be back for her. I promise you."

I didn't want to go with her, but she did make an excellent point. Why would Kyoya have hidden me back here? He didn't need to protect me. I could take care of myself. Relatively. To a certain degree…All of a sudden, the floodgates in my eyes opened up and a constant stream of tears stained my face.

"Lana…?" Kyoya spoke softly, "Are you still back here?"

"Yeah…"

"Are you alright?" he pulled back the curtain and immediately, I bawled into his shoulder, "Come on. Let's get you home…"

 **A/N: This story was lacking in the Lobelia department. I hate Beni-bara with a burning passion, but you have to admit, she's an amazing character. Also, I'm still feeling guilty about "Before the Extraordinary Girl's Lobotomy". I think, not next week, but the following week, I may have something that will completely absolve me of that. I mean, I'm posting a crack chapter for Black Butler in that week. I might as well do something cute and adorable for this, too. In other news, Kyoya Ootori is an undercover Disney prince. No one can convince me otherwise. See you next chapter! xx**


	21. An Aquatic Absence

**A/N: If you're reading this, you're very special to me and I love you. If you're having a really bad day, consider this a big hug and the reassurance that everything is going to be ok. With the Dramatical Murder fic yesterday and with the Kuroshitsuji fic tomorrow, these opening author's notes have been kind of silly, but you guys are different. You guys are my precious little Faberge eggs and I want no harm to come to you, whether it be an outside influence or by your own hand (either intentional or falling victim to your own clumsiness). Not only is this entire story special to me, but so are the ones that read it. And when you little jerks come in and either tell me your personal stories or someone you know or anything of the like, it makes me want to hug you all the harder. You're not alone in this. That's basically the entire moral of this story! But before I get emotional…**

 **If you are reading this, though, I am actually away. I told you there wouldn't be an update this week because I told you I'd be in Michigan for the week with the family. Well, I lied. Around the time I wrapped Fullmetal Alchemist last week, I had this stroke of pure brilliance that I had three days before I had to leave from last Thursday [In current time, I left yesterday (Monday)]. So, instead of using my weekends to binge the Legend of Zelda like I've been doing, I thought I'd be a little more productive and crank out this week's chapters to put in the doc manager, so I can update for you wonderful viewers of mine. I wrote two of them in one day! Normally unheard of for me anymore. But I'm quite proud of myself. I mean, it was a chapter for DmmD that I was painfully excited for and the Kuroshitsuji chapter is too precious for words, but you're not here for any of that. You're here to find out what happened when Kyoya took Lana home. I have my Powerade/Monster Punch cocktail. I have the American Idiot soundtrack on. I'm going to get to writing. You get to reading the fruits of my labor. Enjoy!**

After a long, quiet walk back to my apartment, Kyoya put my kettle on and we began our process of bringing me down from a panic attack. Why did I let that Beni-bara chick get to me so hard? I was still a bit conflicted in my head. It wouldn't be the first time I had my suspicions about the host club. I had thought the same thing when I first walked in. I had a feeling that something was unholy in that room. Other than a stroke to their egos, what else would that have to gain from little old me?

"Kyoya," I spoke softly, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Lana," he assured, bringing me my cup, "Anything."

"You're..." I rested my head on his shoulder, "You're not using me, right?"

"No," Kyoya promised, "We couldn't. If genuinely professing my love for you, not only one on one in Karuizawa, but in front of the host club today didn't do it, let this be your reassurance. I do love you, Lana. Only you. I am not using you in any way. As of right now, you pretty much consume my entire world. If I had to put it into a pie chart, you'd take up approximately 75% of it. I'm with you because I want to be. Not out of any obligation or to feed my ego. I can feed my own ego plenty. And if I had to tell you this every day for it to sink in, so be it."

"Thank you," I curled into him, taking slow sips from my teacup.

"You're welcome," he kissed my forehead, "Don't listen to anything Beni-bara has to say. She's been after the host club for ages now, preaching against us, trying to scare our clientelle away, trying to get Haruhi to transfer to Lobelia because of Beni-bara's extreme crush on her. If it wouldn't have upset the apple cart of the host club so much, I'm almost positive Tamaki would've loved to rub that in her face. I'm so sorry about today, Lana. I never wanted that to happen. If I had my way, you never would've even known that she existed. Are you alright?"

"I'm better now," I nodded.

"Good," Kyoya held me a little tighter, "I'm going home. Is that ok?"

"That's fine," I let him go.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he gave me the sweetest, most tender goodbye kiss, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

I closed and locked my door behind him and finished my tea. I didn't understand why I even let Beni-bara get to me. I really should know better. Kyoya wouldn't use me. Karuizawa was probably the first time he was ever really that open and honest with someone outside of a mental healthcare professional. Everything was fine. I put my headphones in and turned on "When It's Time". If anything would get me to settle down, it was that.

"When It's Time" was such a beautiful song. Especially the Broadway version. It was a definite favorite of mine. And a part of me thought of Kyoya now every time I heard it. This song had offered me a strange sense of comfort for so long. I didn't expect for it to ever become any more than that. Until I met him…

 _The first day you came into my life_

 _Time ticks around you._

 _But then I need your voice_

 _As a key to unlock all the love that's trapped in me_

 _So tell me when it's time_

 _To say I love you…_

When I finished school the next day, I really didn't feel like going into the host club. A day away from yesterday's ground zero wouldn't be a half bad idea. But I didn't feel like going home quite yet. However, I knew of an aquarium in Shibuya that held a very special memory. I skipped the host club and hopped a bullet train to one of the busiest neighborhoods in Tokyo.

I'd be fine. I could do this by myself. I never really did this before, but how hard could it be? I should be fine. I did it with the twins that one time. I managed to muddle through with my parents. Then again, Kyoya was also right there with the entire host club on standby on practically every street corner. You can do this, Lana. You are a relatively strong, slightly independent woman. You can do whatever you want.

I navigated my way through Shibuya and found the aquarium that Kyoya and I went to the day after I found out my parents were on their way. I loved this place. I could live infinitely happy right here. Maybe Kyoya was right. Maybe I was a mermaid. I could barely swim, but I barely functioned as a human being. Perhaps it's because I wasn't meant to be a human, but a mythical creature causing shipwrecks because of how beautiful I was.

Doubtful. If anything, I'd want to be a jellyfish. Look at them. So carefree. No brain or nervous system in sight. Must be nice. I thought they were more beautiful than mermaids. Their tentacles looked like lace. Especially the moon jellyfish. Moon jellyfish reminded me of little ghosts. Adorable, little, gelatinous ghosts.

But then, there were the flower hat jellyfish. Their tentacles reminded me of beaded curtains. And when they swam in dark waters, they almost lit up. Their rarity made them extra beautiful to me. There weren't many like the flower hat jellyfish. Not surprised this particular aquarium had quite a few, though. I'm sure the southern seas around here had a lot of them.

I moved down the tanks to the spotted jellyfish. They were so cute. Like something out of a cartoon. When I saw a spotted jellyfish, they looked like little squids. When most people think of a jellyfish, their brain either goes for a moon or a spotted. But they think of something cute and squishy like these little guys. And I can't blame them. They are pretty adorable.

Last time I was here, I didn't get to see the cannonball jellyfish. Don't tell any of the other jellyfish, but if I had to pick a favorite, it was an even tie between the moon jellyfish and the cannonball. There was one in this particular tank that glowed such a pretty shade of purple in the right light. And I loved it. So round, but so perfect. If they wouldn't shock me horribly, I'd hug and squeeze every single one here. But alas. Not to mention, I'd probably end up being banned from this aquarium for jumping into the tanks.

I sat on the bench and watched their beautiful tentacles sway gently in the water. Must be nice. All they have to do is swim around in the tanks. Not a single care in the world. I'm envious. They don't have to worry about what people think of them or deal with deep seeded mental problems or worry about being a walking screw up. I'm really and truly jealous of every single one of them.

"Excuse me," a man tapped on my shoulder, "We're closing now. You need to leave."

"Ok," I didn't realize I had been here that long. I hoped the trains were still running. It had gotten pretty late. They were probably on the last one. I took off and headed home, checking my phone on the train. I had a few missed calls and a couple texts from Kyoya asking me where I was. But I was so zoned out at the aquarium, I must not have heard them.

I got home around seven and dug around in my fridge for something to eat. I hadn't had anything since noon and I was starving. One of these days, I really need to get around to restocking my fridge. I couldn't live on tea and Count Chocula. Maybe I should just call for something. But that involved actually making a phone call. I didn't call people. People called me. And even then, I was leery about answering.

But that wasn't going to ruin the post jellyfish buzz. Maybe one day I'll get a jellyfish. I wonder if any of the exotic pet shops in town had anything like that. Maybe a cute little moon jellyfish. My own little ghostie swimming in a comfortable tank. What would I name it? Well…It's a moon jellyfish. Did I really want to be cliché and name it something moon related?

 _Knock, knock._

Who in the hell…? I got up from my kitchen table and opened the door. Only to find my boyfriend panting on the other side, "Kyoya? Hi. What are you doing here?"

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," I let him in, "Aces. Why?"

"You weren't at the club today," Kyoya sat at my table, "You had me worried."

"I went to the aquarium after school today," I settled him, "Everything's fine."

"But you had me worried," he shook a little, "After what happened yesterday, I thought you weren't coming back. You know I want that room to be a safe space for you, Lana. I don't want anything bad happening to you in there."

"And it is," I promised, taking his hands, "I just needed some time to myself for a bit. Don't worry, Kyoya. Everything is fine with me."

"Do you promise?" he looked deep into my eyes, nearly into my heart.

"On my life," I swore.

"And us…?"

"Perfect," I assured.

"So," Kyoya switched tangents, "What did you do at the aquarium?"

"I went to visit the jellyfish," I sighed dreamily, "I wish I could swim with them. For a minute, I started to think you were right about me being a mermaid, though."

"When did I ever call you a mermaid?" he gave me a look.

"Implications," I figured, "I'd love to be a mermaid, though. Swim around with all the jellyfish. Befriend them like I was Snow White."

"Or Ariel, in this case," Kyoya corrected me.

"Since when do you know Disney princesses?" I giggled a bit to myself.

"Because I deal with an unofficial Disney princess on a daily basis in the form of Tamaki Suoh," he teased, "And they're a guilty pleasure. But speaking of the host club, can I ask you a question?"

"You just did."

"Lana, I'm serious."

"Go ahead," I allowed, "What?"

"The host club has an event coming up," Kyoya told, "I already know that I have to go, but would you want to go with me?"

"What?" my stomach did a flip, "That wouldn't break some unspoken rule of the host club?"

"Let it," he pulled me up to my feet and held me close, "Last I checked, regardless of the host club, you're still my girlfriend. Isn't this the kind of things we'd do?"

If Kyoya hadn't been holding me up, I probably would've collapsed. Kyoya – my Kyoya! My very type A, lawful neutral Kyoya – was asking me to a host club event where all the regular clients would be there along with all the hosts. And we'd be outing ourselves? This boy was truly an enigma to me, but something came over me. I wasn't sure if it was him randomly showing up here or if it was his uncharacteristic spontaneity or the post aquarium high still in full effect, but I curled into his chest, "Ok. We can do that."

"Don't worry," Kyoya pulled me down to the couch, "It's not for another two weeks. We have plenty of time to prepare."

"Good," I sighed out. The thought of this event still threw my brain for a loop. Two weeks. Plenty of time.

"Hey, Lana…"

"Yeah?"

"Do you…" Kyoya blushed, "Do you mind if I stay with you tonight?"

I pulled his face down to mine, stealing a quick kiss, "Of course not."

 **A/N: I can't wait for this host club event. I really can't. I already have it half plotted in my head. I could probably do the post-its for the next three weeks for this story, but I'm already so ahead of the game that I could stand a break. And I ask your forgiveness for my spazzing over jellyfish in this chapter. They're a definite favorite of mine, too. It's all Clear's (Dramatical Murder) fault. Him and his silly notions about jellyfish dreaming and the stupid jellyfish song…It's actually pretty great. I highly suggest it. Search it on YouTube: Clear's Jellyfish Song. It's magical.**

 **Now, to address a guest comment from Alybaba. First of all, welcome, welcome. Always lovely to get someone new in here. And I got your story request. As far as if I'm going to be able to do it or not, I have a lot on my plate right now. Whenever I wrap up Ouran and Black Butler and Dramatical Murder, I'm wiping the slate and taking a break from those particular fandoms and putting in an all new line up. So, whether or not I'll be able to get to it right now is kind of up in the air. Also, I think you may have an incorrect perception of the word yaoi. There can't be one between Kyoya and Lana, mostly because she's a girl. If I were to, say, replace her with (common pairing) Tamaki (which would never happen in a million years. I'm way too much of a TamaHaru shipper to even consider such a thing), then that would make it a yaoi. But this isn't that kind of story, sweetie. I'm sorry. I don't ever plan on making this one smut. It's too wrapped up in other things to even give that consideration. If you're looking for some smut, may I direct you to my Black Butler series (Start with Just a Simple Interview first. Read them all. They're pretty great from what I've been told.)? That's an ice cold glass of lemonade if I ever saw one. And it kind of helps that Kyoya and Sebastian might as well be the same person… (Tee hee…English dub voice actor humor…) There's even a little bit of naughty bits in my Avengers/Jessica Jones fic with Loki, too (Kilgrave's Good Little Girl, if you're looking for it.) But anyway, see you next chapter! xx**


	22. Home Sweet Home

**A/N: Hello, you beautiful creature, you. You guys didn't get into too many shenanigans while I was gone, did you? I know you didn't. I trust you guys to be good while I'm gone. It's those ruffians at the Kuroshitsuji fic that I need to get a backpack leash for. And now, I'm picturing something adorable to doodle later that involves toddler versions of Sebastian and Ciel with baby Marcelina on my back with Noiz and Angel from the Dramatical Murder fic in a stroller and Lana holding my hand while Kyoya holds hers. Maybe Maes and Tricia from the Fullmetal Alchemist fic trying to sneak off and not stay with the group. This is all sounding precious and if someone can draw this for me, I'll give you my eternal gratitude and next week's chapter a week early. Contact me and I'll give you some descriptions for the OCs.**

 **And a little side note, when I was writing the post-its for this chapter, I had on a live stream from the Monterey Bay Aquarium's jellyfish tank. That may or may not have been a mistake. But I highly recommend it. It's such a beautiful stream. It's very centering. 5/5. You need it in your life. It makes me all the more excited for the aquarium that's going up in St. Louis right now that should probably be running by next year. Can't wait! *swoons eternally***

 **Now, to address a guest review from last week's chapter…**

 **Dear Adoring Fan,**

 **I love you more for even considering this over the millions of better ones (probably) on this site. Or Tumblr. Or Ao3. But I am no genius. I'm just a little girl with a head full a problems and a heart full of dreams that wants to hug the world.**

 **All my love,**

 **Lumi.**

 **Now. If it's alright with you, I'm going to get started on this week's update, ok? We'll talk more at the end. I promise.**

Waking up to Kyoya wrapped around me? Occasionally catching him smile in his sleep? Life was good. And I knew that in eight short hours, I would end up on the front door of an alleged abandoned music room with some of the best friends I've ever had. All thanks to my wretched clumsiness.

"Lana!" Tamaki tghrew his arms around me, attempting to snap me in half, "We missed you so much yesterday! The club felt so empty without you! So cold! So vacant! Are you ok? You're not suffering, are you?"

"I'm ok, Tamaki," I swore, struggling for breath, "I just needed to take a day. There was a new arrival in the jellyfish exhibit at the aquarium. I couldn't say no."

"You did have us worried, though, Lana-chan," Honey chimed in, "For a minute we all thought you weren't coming back."

"I'm sorry," I apologized, feeling awful about my detour from yesterday, "I probably should've told someone."

"You don't need to worry about Lobelia anymore," Kyoya promised me, "Everything should be fine."

"And if Lobelia comes back?" I asked, a little nerved up, "Tell me you have some sort of contingency plan for that."

"We're working on it."

"You know," Tamaki grinned darkly as the light bulb in his head clicked on, "I think I got one..."

"Do tell, Tamaki," Kyoya insisted, "I'm sure we'd all love to hear it."

"Beni-bara wants Lana, right?" he began.

"Right..."

"Well," Tamaki beamed, "She wouldn't want a host. That would go against everything the Zuka club stands for."

"Point, Tamaki."

"I propose that we make Lana a full time host!" he squealed.

"What?" my stomach dropped all the way to the Earth's core.

"No," Kyoya put his foot down, "We're not making Lana join the host club. We told her that on her first day in here."

"Just a thought!" Tamaki sang, "A rather brilliant one on my part, if I do say so myself."

"No," Kyoya pulled out a spray bottle full of water.

"I never said we would," Tamaki tried to block him, "I'm just saying it's an option."

"No, it's not," Kyoya kept spraying.

"Besides," I chimed in before it turned into bloodshed, "I don't have the social skills to be a host. I'm lucky if I can hold a conversation with you guys. If I were to become a host, I'd have to take half hour breaks in between clients to come down."

"We could always train you," Tamaki suggested, draping his arm around my shoulders, "It worked with Haruhi."

"I was a natural, though, Senpai," Haruhi pointed out, "Training Lana and training me would be two completely different things. And I wouldn't hesitate to conk you on the head."

"I'd just break down at your feet or run off," I joked darkly.

"I don't think you're untrainable, Lana," Tamaki pushed it a little more.

"I said no," Kyoya hit him with the bottle again.

"Wow, Kyoya," I giggled a bit, "By the sounds of it, you should get Tamaki a backpack leash."

"I'd be lying if I said I haven't considered it once or twice," he admitted.

"Hey!" Tamaki dried off.

"I can't blame you," Haruhi agreed, "I would, too."

"Haruhi..." Tamaki started to erode away.

"No," Kyoya swept him up and put him back together, "We still need you. You can't do that. Hikaru, Kaoru, open the doors please."

"On it!" The twins opened the doors and the girls started flooding the music room, choosing their respective hosts. As usual, the girls flocked toward Tamaki and Honey and Mori. But between Honey and Mori and the twins, they had about an equal amount. And Haruhi only trailed behind by a few. If the host club was starting up, I guess I had to choose a host, too.

"So," I sat next to my host of choice, "Can I sit with you today?"

"Sorry, Lana," Kyoya shot me down, "I'm busy. I have a massive party to plan. I need to focus on this for now."

"Oh," I was taken aback, "Ok. That's fine...I guess..."

"I promise you," he took my hand under the table, "I will walk you home later. But until then, I have work to do."

"Ok," I let him go.

Before I could get up, Kyoya pulled me down to whisper in my ear, covertly kissing my cheek, "I love you."

My entire body turned bright red and if I didn't know any better, I'd think my nose was going to start bleeding. I love that boy. Even though it's going to suck not being able to sit with him. He's busy, though. He's not too busy for me. He has a party to plan. And that's ok. I can't be clingy. Despite the fact that clingy is about seventy percent of my personality. But I guess I'd have to go with my back up host. Or should I say hosts?

"Are you sitting with us, Lana-chan?" Honey asked, his eyes shooting off rainbows.

"I have to," I sighed out, "Kyoya's busy with this upcoming event. I have to let him work. I can't be a distraction."

Mori pulled me to his side and wrapped his arms around me. He knew. He knew I was a little upset and my being a little upset could mutate to something not so pretty very quickly. I wonder if he knew more than what he was letting on. Mori was quiet, but he was observant.

"I hope Kyo-chan doesn't work himself too hard," Honey worried, "But I'm sure this party will go off flawlessly! If anyone can do it, it's him!"

"I'm sure he'll be fine," I hoped, half dozing off in Mori's arms.

"Are you ok, Lana-chan?" Honey wondered, "You look like you're ready for a nap."

"I slept pretty well last night," I assured. Like I usually do when I sleep with Kyoya, "Maybe I just need to shut down for a while."

"Do you want to use my bed?" he offered, "You're more than welcome to."

"No," I yawned, resting my head on Mori's shoulder, "I'll be fine."

"Ok," Honey still looked a little nervous, "Let's have some cake then!"

"That's fine," I rubbed my eyes, doing everything in my power to keep myself awake. Maybe a good sugar buzz would help.

"I'll go get your cake," Mori put me gently on the arm of the couch while he left Honey and me alone.

"You know..." Honey told, "Takashi would probably kill me for telling you this, but you realize he likes you, right, Lana-chan?"

"He does...?" All of a sudden, an overwhelming wave of guilt crashed over me.

"Does he now?" The twins caught wind of our conversation.

"Well then," Hikaru beamed.

"What an interesting turn of events," Kaoru mirrored him

"Excuse us," they chimed in unison, "We need to havce a word with the boss."

"Uh-oh..." Honey bit his tongue, "I think I might have made a really big mistake."

"What are they going to do?" I started shaking.

"I'm sure it's nothing," he kept his little fingers crossed.

"Mitsukuni," Mori put a three tiered cake in front of Honey, "It's chocolate."

"Yay!" Honey changed his tune as he devoured the bottom layer.

Which still made me nervous. They didn't call Hikaru and Kaoru the mischievous type for no reason. They were meddlers. I could tell that from day one. And that's what worries me. Sitting on that kind of information could either kill them or kill the host club altogether. Either way, someone's getting hurt.

As the bell tolled five, the host club had come to a close and Kyoya walked me home, just as he promised. And that became our routine for the next week. Go to the host club. Have cake with Honey and Mori while Kyoya worked. Kyoya walks me home. I get a kiss good night. Repeat the next day. Even in biology, Kyoya was planning this party. Must really be a big thing.

The following Wednesday, I had gone into the host club like any other day. But instead of everyone setting up like normal, Tamak was absolutely frantic. I did a quick head count. Tamaki...Haruhi...Honey, Mori...Hikaru, Kaoru...We were short a host.

"Lana!" Tamaki charged me, almost triggering immediate panic, "Have you seen Kyoya today?"

"Not since biology," I tried to get out of his trembling grasp on my shoulders, "Why?"

"We should've opened an hour ago!" he freaked, "We can't open without everyone here. And no one can find him!"

"Any idea where he'd be?" I worried.

"No!"

"Let's go find him then," I tried my hardest to hold myself together for the sake of everyone else.

Where in the hell would Kyoya be...? The boys had split off into teams of two while I went off by myself. I checked the library, the gardens, the other music rooms. Nothing. I went back to the empty music room number three, thinking maybe he had come back here. I heard some sort of movement near the dressing rooms.

"Kyoya...?" I spoke softly, following the sound of heavy breathing that I knew all too well. I pulled the curtain back and found him with his knees against his chest. I got down next to him, "Kyoya...? Are you ok...?"

All he did was shake his head. So, this was Kyoya's reaction to an anxiety attack...I wove my fingers between his, "Can you tell me what happened?"

"Three days..." he murmured, "This party is in three days...The caterer cancelled...The band cancelled...Everything is falling apart. And to make matters worse, you have to see your rock crumbling..."

"Kyoya," I pulled him against me, my heart in pieces, "Even a crumbled rock becomes a part of the softest sand. You don't need to worry about me right now. We need to worry about you. You worked yourself too hard, didn't you?"

"I don't even know anymore," he shook violently, "I don't know what I'm going to do. My back ups aren't even answering."

"Give me your phone," I demanded, holding my hand out.

"Why...?" Kyoya reluctantly gave me his phone.

I turned the infernal contraption off and shoved it into my bag, "You're skipping out on the host club today. We're going back to my house. And you're going to crash and come down. One little break isn't going to kill you."

"But..."

"I'm not fighting you, Kyoya," I cut him off, using his post anxiety crash against him for his own good, "You've been working your ass off for the past week. You're exhausted. You're coming with me whether you want to or not."

I think I may have taken him by surprise by the way I took control like that. But if he didn't stop, he would've only gotten worse. And I wasn't going to let that happen. Not when I had the power to do something. Kyoya submitted to me, "Alright. Let's go."

"Meet me outside," I gave him a quick kiss, "I'm going to go give the guys some peace of mind."

"Ok..."

Kyoya and I parted ways for the time being and I found all the others in the main room. Tamaki was still pretty spastic, but Haruhi did her best to settle him down. There was only one of us that could truly get him to shut up right now. And that someone was me.

"Did you find him?" Tamaki worried.

"I'm not doing too well," I calmed him down, "I found Kyoya. He's going to take me home."

"Is he coming back?"

"No," I shook my head, "I'm not doing good, Tamaki. He's going to make sure I'm ok. We'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Ok," he let me go, "See you later."

I had a feeling that nobody knew about Kyoya's problems. So, it was going to stay that way. Besides, that wasn't my place to say anything. I wouldn't want him, for lack of a better word, outing me like that. No matter who it was to. The two of us walked back to my apartment and I brought Kyoya inside, "You go crash and I'm going to start on dinner, ok?"

"Do I have a choice?" he asked.

"Kind of strange, isn't it," I wrapped my arms around him, nuzzling my face in his shoulder blades, "Me taking care of you for a change."

"Grueling, isn't it?" Kyoya took my hands.

"Not as grueling as you'd think," I promised, "Now, go. You know where my bed is."

Without another word, Kyoya went into my room and I dug around in my fridge for some sort of semblance of something to make for the two of us. The first time he made dinner for me, he made me braised lamb. And I'd kill a man for Kyoya's lamb again. But something tells me I wasn't going to find lamb in my freezer. I set out some chicken to thaw in the sink and started working on a sauce.

If there was anything I had a gift for, it was making sauces. I don't know why. It just came naturally to me. I opened a can of tomato sauce and a bottle of sriracha and mixed the two. Normally, I'd use ketchup, but I hadn't bought any in a while and I wasn't going to leave Kyoya here by himself. So, I had to make do. Oh, well. It's basically the same thing. I'll be able to manage. Let's see. What else...? Vinegar. Apple cider vinegar. Did I have any? I reached up into the corner cabinet. Yes! Success! Just enough, too.

I had the base done. Now...Sugar. I know I have that. I just got some when Kyoya and I went to the supermarket last. No exact measurement really. I'll be able to taste it until I get it right. Maybe a little brown sugar, too? No. Besides, I didn't have any. That's fine. I could make do without it. I zested up a lemon and an orange and squeezed some of the orange's juice in the bubbling mixture on the stove.

I ran my finger over my spice rack in a grand search for the garlic powder and my red pepper flake. Because the sriracha didn't give it enough bite. That didn't really matter. I could use sriracha like ketchup and it'd have no effect on me. Made my stomach hurt to all hell later, but I didn't care. Completely worth it.

I poked at my chicken and found it perfectly thawed. I turned the stove down and cut up my chicken. Oddly therapeutic. I threw the cubed meat into my hot pan with some melted butter and got to cooking it. I should probably turn on my rice cooker, too. Did I want to put anything in my rice...? No. It should be fine on its own. Besides, I had a full bottle of SOY SAUCE!

I knew my sauce was missing something! I forgot to add the soy sauce. Lana, you idiot. I poured a few decent glugs of it in the sauce pan and mixed it in with everything else. There we go. Perfect! Gold star for me. Well...Silver star. I did almost forget. I tried, ok? But still...

As soon as everything was all perfectly cooked, I turned my stove off and went into my room to get Kyoya. And sure enough, the little angel was fast asleep. He had me worried. With the way he had been working lately, God only knows when the last time he had a decent amount of sleep. Maybe since the last time he had spent the night here. If it were then, in that case, I was going to keep him here until that damn event was over with. I couldn't do that again. I didn't want to do that again.

But right now, I'm sure that all he needed was some sleep. And who better for him to sleep with than me? I had a feeling that if I didn't keep an eye on him, Kyoya was going to end up collapsing because of this party. And I couldn't have that. I needed him to be there for me. He was one of the few people that knew how to take care of me when I needed it the most.

Besides...I loved him so much. I don't want to see him suffer either. I wiggled into Kyoya's arms and kissed his cheek. This was exactly where I wanted to be. And who I wanted to be with. Maybe not under these particular circumstances, but whatever works.

 **A/N: I had a request a long time ago for a Lana/Kyoya role reversal. I debated in my head whether or not I even wanted to do it. I didn't want to make Kyoya suffer. I don't want to make Lana suffer. I want my little babies to be safe and loved and protected. *wraps them both in bubble wrap***

 **Now, I'm sorry this is up so late. I had been out and about all day. But on the plus side! I got most of the chapter written whilst out, so I got that going for me. And about Lana's cooking…That's actually my recipe for the greatest sweet and sour chicken in the history of mankind. It's so delightful. When I made it the first time, it was out of necessity. I didn't have any sweet and sour sauce, but I reeeeeeeally wanted some sweet and sour chicken. So, I got on the internet and looked for a recipe for sweet and sour sauce. And I've tweaked it over time and it's absolutely perfect. 5/5 would recommend. And I don't use measurements. Although, I will say this. I don't screw around with the vinegar. Half a cup. No more, no less. Anyway…Let's get off the cooking tangent, shall we? How about we just end it here before I start to ramble? See you next chapter! xx**


	23. The Host Club Has a New Guest!

**A/N: Hi, guys! So, at the time I'm posting this, the reviews are still pretty fritzy. So, if you want to either leave them in guest and I'll respond in your inbox (that is, if you do actually have an account) or just skip the middle man and come right in to my inbox. It's always open. So, to the guest comments from last week, I'm sorry. I can't really get to you right now. Because I fast approved your last reviews, so I could read them with all the others (because I was on my phone when I did it and I was just waking up. Also, I'm pretty blind and I hate my glasses with a passion, so I'm pretty useless without my contacts.), but that's when I realized there was some faultiness with the revew section. Surprise, surprise. Now, I have a little something I've been rattling around in my brain for the past week or two…But I'll run that by you guys at the end. Enjoy!**

I couldn't help myself. I didn't get to see it often, but when Kyoya has completely shut donw and is finally getting some sleep? It was like seeing a unicorn. And here he was. Out cold in my bed. I couldn't complain about that if I wanted to.

Ring, ring!

I do regret not silencing my phone, though. I scrambled for the little thorn in my side and brought it into the other room. Thank God, Kyoya's a heavy sleeper when he's exhausted, "Hello?"

"Hi, Lana!" Rhiannon chimed on the other end, "Why are you whispering?"

"Because I kept my voice down, "Kyoya probably hasn't slept in a week and I'll be damned if I let anything wake him up."

"Is he ok?" she worried.

"He's been working his ass off for this party on Saturday," I told, "I'm making him take a break and letting him come down."

"Come down?" Rhiannon's radar went up. If being around me any has planted certain words and phrases in her head, that was definitely one of them, "What do you mean, come down?"

"He's like me," I explained, "Only Kyoya has a better lid than I do. Because of his serious exhaustion, though, his problems came back with a vengeance."

"Poor baby," she empathized, "So that's why he's so good at taking care of you."

"What can I say?" I shrugged, "He gets me."

"Well," my sister sang out, "I have some really good news! Are you sitting down?"

"I am now," I pullled out one of my kitchen chairs, "What's up?"

"You know how Carlos loves me?" she began.

"Still never met him," I reminded, "But go on."

"He had a friend of his call the other day," Rhiannon told, "And this guy is an absolute master of his craft. He's an incredible artist. He's a guru of sorts. Anyway, he told Carlos to send him his best artist to come and study with him for a while. And guess who Carlos' best artist is?"

"Congratulations, Rhi," I praised.

"I haven't even told you the best part!" she cut me off, "Yoshi's shop isn't in the US."

"Where is it?" I beamed, already getting excited.

"Tokyo!" Rhiannon squealed, "Lana, I'm being sent to Tokyo!"

"You're coming here?" my heart stopped.

"Yeah!" her piercing shriek made my ear ring, "I'm actually on my way now. I got a layover in Honolulu. I should be there by three o'clock local time tomorrow. It is ok with you, right? It was last minute for me, too. Basically, I was told as soon as I walked in the door and had to pack the next second."

"Are you kidding?" I nearly matched her levels of enthusiasm, "I can't wait! Hurry up and get here!"

"Alright, alright," Rhiannon settled me, "I'll get there as soon as I can, ok?"

"Ok," I couldn't keep a smile off my face if I tried.

"And I will be meeting the cutie pie on your couch, too," she demanded.

"Of course," I assured, not having the intestinal fortitude to tell her he was actually sleeping in my bed. There was no telling how bad Rhi would've blown up, "I'll run it by Kyoya first."

"Run what by me?" Speak of the devil. Kyoya wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Rhi's coming here for a work thing," I filled him in.

"Oh," Kyoya nuzzled his face in my neck, "I look forward to meeting her."

"Me, too," Rhiannon added her two cents.

"Rhiannon," I took a rather serious tone with her.

"What?"

"Promise me," I begged her, "Promise me you'll have a filter while you're here. Just a little bit of shame. After what happened with Mom and Dad, I don't want that to repeat itself. I don't think I could take it again."

"Fine," she agreed. I knew throwing Mom and Dad under the bus would've worked. I felt bad about it, but whatever works, "Just a little filter."

"Thank you," I sighed out, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have food on my table getting cold."

"Ramen isn't real food," Rhiannon could have a wicked mom voice, too.

"I didn't make ramen," I took all the pans out of the oven. After I realized Kyoya as asleep, I had put dinner in there to keep it warm.

"Look at you!" she awed, "I'm so proud. I'm going to get a cocktail and go to sleep."

"Nighty night, Rhi."

"I'll see you soon, sweetie."

Click.

God, I miss my sister. Rhiannon's my best friend. I don't know what I'd do without her. I don't know what I'm going to do with her most of the time, but I know I don't want to be without her. I couldn't wait for her to get here. It had been way too long since I've seen Rhiannon. And it's a damn travesty. I grabbed two plates out of the cabinet and we finally got around to eating. Still got it. I forgot how good it was when I got the ambition to actually cook for myself.

"So," Kyoya stopped me, "I'm meeting your sister soon?"

"Probably within the next twenty-four hours," I figured, doing the math in my head, "That is ok with you, isn't it?"

"If Rhiannon is anything like you," he took my hand, "I'm sure we'll get along famously. Besides, I'm pretty sure she already likes me."

"Yeah," I grumbled, "Maybe a little too much."

"What do you mean?" Kyoya gave me a look.

"Well," I bit my tongue, "Rhi's always liked them younger."

"No," he shut me down before I could even start, "I'm not leaving you, Lana. It's you and me, remember? Need I pull up the pie chart again?"

"Did you really make a pie chart?" I giggled.

"No," Kyoya smiled a little, "Metaphorically speaking. I'm not going anywhere. Besides, I like them younger, too."

"I'm assuming you've caught up a little better on sleep?" I assumed.

"Yeah," he nodded, "I'm altogether in my head again. Thank you, Lana. If you weren't so pushy about me skipping out on the host club today, I probably would've ended up in the hospital again."

"You can't always be the one to take care of me," I promised, "Give and take, right?"

Kyoya squeezed my hand a little more, "How did I get so lucky…?"

"Well," I smirked, "Your first mistake was offering a hopeless little head case like me biology tutoring. Your second mistake? Showing her your vulnerability. The third? Keeping her around."

"Like I could get rid of you," his lips brushed against my knuckles, "I'm going home. Do you need anything else?"

"Do you?"

"I'm fine," Kyoya promised, taking our plates and putting them in the sink, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll be the one in the yellow dress," I teased.

"I'd still be able to find you," he wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight, "I love you, Lana."

"I love you, too…"

But I never want to see you go…I was still kind of worried about Kyoya. I wanted to make him stay with me tonight just so I could keep an eye on him, but I guess he could go home. I still had the sweet feeling of elation that he usually left behind. Just enough to get me to sleep tonight. Between him being ok again and my sister coming soon, I couldn't have been happier. I can feel the pride coming from my only good doctor in London.

The next day, I went into biology and sat in my usual desk. Close to the door, making sure to leave one seat behind me. And its usual filling came in shortly after I did, looking a lot better than what he did after he left my house last night. Good sign? I guess so. And considering that the host club's massive party was tomorrow, this made me so happy.

"Hi, Kyoya," I greeted him, feeling the butterflies in my belly kick up a storm.

"Hello, Lana," Kyoya sat behind me, not showing me too much attention, cracking open his notebook, "Always a pleasure."

I watched his usual blue pen come out of his bag and go right down to the paper. And our usual conversation began. It took him a minute, though. I'm sure he was still working on setting things up for tomorrow night. And I'd probably still have to leave him alone, so he could get work done. I guess that's the downside of dating the vice president of the host club. Oh well. He takes my bad with my good. The least I can do is reciprocate.

 _Toss._

 _Hello, my love._

I instantly turned a bright shade of red. Every part of me wanted to turn around and punch him for it, but my heart decided for me, going all pitter patter. I kind of wanted to fight fire with fire and make Kyoya all blushy, too. But that was just being petty. I wasn't going to do that.

 _Hi. You doing ok?_

 _Toss._

 _Scribble, scribble, scribble._

 _Better than I was yesterday. I'd say I'm one hundred percent again. Eleven hours of solid sleep will do that._

A huge wave of relief crashed over me. Good. Kyoya was taking care of himself. It was good to know I did have a slight impact on him. I didn't have to resort to extreme tactics. Like a sock full of quarters. I had thought of it. Even gave it consideration for a brief moment. But I couldn't do that to him.

 _So, it's safe to say you've finally cau-_

 _Bzzz…_

What the hell? My phone buzzed in my lap with a text message from my beloved sister who had the most perfect timing. Always…Ugh…

 _You go to Ouran Academy, right? Not Ouran High School?_

 _RS_

I rolled my eyes a little, shaking my head at her. I loved my sister, but I was giving serious consideration of getting out my quarter sock.

 _Yes._

 _LS_

And I went back to my handwritten conversation.

 _So, it's safe to say you're finally caught up on sleep?_

 _Toss…_

 _Toss…_

 _Yes._

Not much long after, the bell had rung and Kyoya and I had to go our separate ways. Unfortunately. But I knew that in only one more hour, I'd see him again at the host club and everything would be ok. And with me being me, I always got early access. It's like getting special passes to Disneyland, only less terrifying.

"Hey, Lana!" the twins called me over.

"Hi, boys," I always got a little nervous when Hikaru and Kaoru ganged up on me like that, "What's up?"

"What are your thoughts," Hikaru began.

"On Mori-senpai?" Kaoru finished.

"Mori?" my heart started racing. This had to be about what Honey told me. I just needed to be honest. If I gave them a little something, they'd go away and we'd never visit this again, "He's a good friend. Why?"

"Ouch," Hikaru winced.

"She used the F word," Kaoru agreed.

"Sorry, Mori-senpai!" they harmonized, "Lana's not interested!"

"What?" my stomach turned.

"What?" Mori shared my sentiments.

"WHAT?!" And of course, Tamaki had to join in on the fun.

"Tamaki," Kyoya got his spray bottle, "No."

"What's going on with Lana and Mori-senpai now?" Tamaki freaked.

"Nothing," Kyoya sprayed, "I can assure you that. Now, isn't it time to open the club?"

"You're absolutely right!" Bless his absent mindedness, "Hikaru, Kaoru, open the doors!"

"Got it!"

And just like that, the host club began filling very quickly. Just like any other day. But because I knew Kyoya would be busy with finalizing everything for tomorrow, I went back to my back-ups. I liked sitting with Honey and Mori. I'd always end up with a face full of cake and I couldn't complain about that. Unfortunately, when a new guest arrived in the host club with fire engine red hair and a punk rock aesthetic, immediate formation had to happen.

Funny. Her hair was neon green and a bright blue last time I saw it.

"Well, hello there," Tamaki turned the charm on, "I've never seen you in here before."

"I've never been in here before," she quipped.

"Well then," he smirked, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tamaki Suoh, president of the Ouran Host Club."

"All these beautiful boys in one place?" she beamed, "Where do I begin?"

"What type of guy are you into?" Tamaki asked, running the company line, "We pretty much have anything your little heart desires. We have the mischievious Hitachiin twins. Perhaps you'd be more interested in sweet, little Honey-senpai, our boy Lolita. And with Honey-senpai comes Mori-senpai, the strong, silent type. Maybe that's not your cup of tea and you're looking for a more natural host like Haruhi. Maybe you'd rather brains over beauty. In that case, you'd be looking for someone like Kyoya."

"Trying not to be offended," Kyoya grumbled in indifferent disdain.

"Or maybe," Tamaki brushed him off, dropping to one knee, taking her hand, "You're into the princely type like me. So, which host would you like to sit with today?"

"Don't flatter me, sweetie," she blushed, "Give me the boy genius. What did you say his name was again?"

"Kyoya?" he assumed.

"Yeah," she strided over to him in her four inch heeled leather boots, "He'll do."

"Hello, princess," Kyoya greeted her just like any other new client of the host club.

"Hello, nurse..." Dammit. A little decency. All I asked, "Kyoya! Sorry. I meant to say Kyoya..."

"I understand," his familiar smirk popped up on his face, "It's wonderful to finally meet you in person, Rhiannon."

"You, too, Kyoya," she beamed, "Now, where's my little sister?"

"She's around," Kyoya shot me a wink as I still sat in Honey and Mori's section of the club.

"Sister?" Tamaki wondered.

"You know her, Kyo-chan?" Honey asked.

"You are adorable!" Rhiannon got down to his level, "You're old enough to be in high school?"

"I'm graduating this year," he told.

"I know the feeling," she sympathized, "All of you, except for Kyoya, think I'm still old enough to be in high school. I haven't stepped foot in a high school in twelve years. Didn't even go to my reunion. Didn't see a reason to. I'm sorry, but can I hug you? You're too cute for words."

"Ok!" Honey nuzzled into my sister's shoulder. And Rhiannon reveled in it, "How do you know her, Kyo-chan?"

"She and I have spoken on the phone many a time," Kyoya explained, "And if you're looking for your sister, she's over there about to come out of her skin."

"Rhiannon!" I ran to her.

"Hey, sweetie!" she squeezed me tight, "I missed the hell out you, Lana."

"I missed you, too," I was damn near in tears.

"By the way," Rhiannon nudged me a little, "He's cuter in person...Good for you..."

"Shut up!" I squeaked.

"What?"

I grabbed my big mouthed sister by the wrist and dragged her off to one of the dressing rooms in the back, "They don't know."

"Who don't know?"

"The rest of the host club!" I snapped, "They have no idea about Kyoya and me, so if you could keep your mouth shut about us, I'd really appreciate it."

"Alright," Rhiannon promised, "I will. But I still stand by what I said. I raised you well."

"I hate you," I grumbled, rolling my eyes.

"Hey," she stopped me, "Come on. We have to go."

"No," I shook my head, "I'm not going anywhere."

"No?" Rhiannon gave me a look, "What do you mean, no?"

"This is my safe space, Rhi," I explained, "This is one of my favorite times of the day. Please let me enjoy it."

"How long does this last?" she asked.

"A couple hours," I went on, "Then, Kyoya walks me home and I call it a day."

"Ok," she caved, "My flight just landed and I rush right over here to see you. Only to be second choice to a group of boys. I missed you!"

"And I missed you, too," I promised.

"Let's do dinner tonight," Rhiannon demanded, "The three of us."

"The three of us?"

"You, me, Kyoya," she elaborated, "Is that ok?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "I'll run it by Kyoya. See if he's in. Question."

"Possible answer."

"Are you sticking around the host club?" I offered.

"I don't know," she rocked back on her heels, "You want me to?"

"Sure," I lit up, "You should meet the boys and Haruhi, too."

"Why'd you separate Haruhi?" Rhiannon wondered, "Isn't he a host, too?"

"Yeah," I giggled, "She is. She's kind of the best kept secret of the host club. Well…Second best."

"Oh!" her eyes widened, "Now, I can see it…"

"Come on," I took her hand, "Come meet my friends. I can actually say that now."

"Ok!"

 **A/N: And we're going to end it here. This chapter has gone on long enough. I'm so happy we introduced Rhiannon, though. Like actually in person and not just through phone calls and text messages. I want you to keep in mind how she got to Japan. Because we're going to explore that a little deeper. And we'll see more of her reactions to the boys of the host club that we've come to know and love.**

 **Now, the thing I wanted to run by you guys. See…I told you a couple chapters ago that I just wanted to give you all the biggest of hugs. And that got me thinking. Just out of curiosity…How many of you are in the St. Louis metro area? Like…In a two-hundred-mile radius? An hour or two drive? Because if I were to do something silly like stage a meet up, would you do that? Do I have that kind of internet fame where I can do that yet? Because I'm going to give the same proposition to the Kuroshitsuji fic tomorrow. And if you're not comfortable enough saying it in the reviews, inbox me. I promise you that I won't come to your house and stab you in your sleep. But actually meeting some of you in person would be pretty amazing. Why? Because YOU'RE pretty amazing. So…See you next chapter. xx**


	24. The Host Club's First Bonfire

**A/N: So, the reviews have come back! Yay! They came back last Wednesday and I wanted to punch a baby. But now, I can actually talk to the guests again. Yay! So, anyway…**

 **Of course, I'm going to address you, EWT. That's why I tell people I'd make a shit senpai. I always notice. And please. Feel free to gush. It feeds my ego and my ego's pretty starved right now. I'm a strange human being. I have a really high ego to the point where it's almost a problem, but it's balanced out by my wickedly low self-esteem. So, I got that going for me. But really and truly, I appreciate the boost. As for the being littler than me, I'm a 5ft. ball of passive aggression that's building up in the deep pit of my soul that is going to come out in the form of not so passive aggression. And I'm going to end up snapping one day to the point where it'll make CNN.**

 **And for whoever signed their review a triple L, I wouldn't call Kyoya and Mori cold. And if you look back to the author's note for Before the Extraordinary Girl's Lobotomy (I know we don't like to talk about that chapter, but bear with me), I'm not doing a love triangle. It's just not going to happen. I couldn't pit my host club boys against each other. I couldn't live with myself. Now, I'm going to shut up and you're going to read this new chapter, ok? Enjoy!**

When I was little and our parents decded to go out of town for the weekend, Rhiannon always threw a bonfire. It didn't matter what time of year it was. Mom and Dad would be gone. Rhi was throwing a party. Even after I got my diagnosis, she'd still throw parties when they'd leave. But I'd always stay inside. She'd still come in from time to time to check on me. But a couple years after my diagnosis, she'd be leaving for New York, so we didn't have many nights like that.

This feeling I had now? Sitting around with the boys and Haruhi and Rhi? This is the exact feeling I'd imagine those bonfires to have. A sense of closeness and camraderie and family. Everyone else had gone home. It was just the nine of us, sitting around in the music room after hours. And I never wanted this feeling to go away.

"So, you're really Lana-chan's sister, Rhi-chan?" Honey asked, looking up at my sister from her lap.

"That's right, Honey," she held him a little tighter, "For the last sixteen years."

"Why have we never heard about you?" the twins harmonized. Something I thought I would've gotten used to by now.

"I'm almost positive I've talked about Rhiannon before," I assured.

"Maybe you two don't listen," Rhi stood up for me, "Maybe you should listen more."

"Thanks, Rhi," I giggled a bit.

"No problem, sweetie," she smiled, "But can I be real with you guys for a sec?"

"We're not going to stop you, Rhiannon," Kyoya allowed, "Go ahead."

"Thank you," she took the floor, "From the absolute bottom of my heart. For everything you guys do for Lana. You take care of my little sister when I can't. I can tell just by talking to her that she's been getting better ever since she started coming here. And especially because of one of you in particular."

"Well," Tamaki chimed while I caught Kyoya smiling out of the corner of my eye, "I try my best. No need to thank me."

"Not you, Tamaki," Rhiannon shot him down.

"Which one of us then?" Hikaru asked.

"He knows," she kept her mouth shut, "So, what's this party coming up I've heard about? I could never pass up a good party."

"My kind of girl," Tamaki beamed.

"Hey!" Haruhi squeaked.

"One of them," Tamaki rephrased.

"Did you finally give in to the boss, Haruhi?" Hikaru figured.

"I bet she finally caved," Kaoru agreed, "It's not like any of us would be surprised. He's been wearing her down since she came in."

"That's none of your business!" Tamaki screeched.

"Yeah," Haruhi confirmed, nonchalantly, "For two weeks now."

"Haruhi..." Tamaki whined, blushing something fierce, "I thought we weren't going to tell anyone about us yet."

"I'm going to hate myself for this," Haruhi grumbled to herself, sitting on Tamaki's lap, "I'm sorry...Daddy."

A dead silence swept the host club. And blood started gushing from Tamaki's nose. Luckily, I had some tissues in my bag and caught it before it could drip, "Are you ok, Tamaki?"

"I think I need a minute," his voice broke.

"Are you crying, boss?" the twins worried.

"No!" Tamaki ran off.

"I should go take care of him, shouldn't I?" Haruhi figured.

"I think you broke him, Haruhi," Kyoya teased.

"Probably," I chuckled, "Good luck. Godspeed."

"Thanks," she let out an exasperated sigh and went off to find her mess of a boyfriend.

"Well," Rhiannon got up, "We should probably get going, too, Lana."

"Don't leave, Rhi-chan," Honey begged, "It feels like you just got here."

"Don't worry, Honey," she snuggled him, "I'll be sticking around for a while. This won't be the last you'll see of me. Hey, Kyoya?"

"Yes, Rhiannon?"

"You know any good restaurants in town?" she asked, insinuating her invite.

"Plenty," Kyoya nodded.

"Think you could take some time out of your busy schedule and show us one?" Rhiannon turned on her own personal brand of charm that was so potent, if she were to bottle it, the host club would be buying her out on a regular basis and they'd make a killing.

"I don't see why not," he agreed, "I guess I can take some time out of my busy schedule."

"Awesome!" she beamed, "We'll see you guys tomorrow night, right?"

"They all have to come," Kyoya shot them a friendly glare, "They're kind of obligated."

"We wouldn't miss it!" Honey sang, still firmly attached to Rhiannon's leg.

As soon as Mori peeled his cousin off my sister, Rhiannon, Kyoya and I headed to the restaurant Kyoya took me on our first date. Our first actual date. Not just the library. And it gave me the same kind of butterflies I had that night. Minus the impending doom of my parents coming.

"Never thought I'd be third wheeling my little sister on a date," Rhiannon teased, "And you're sure that none of your older brothers are single, Kyoya?"

"Positive," he confirmed as I glared a hole through my sister's shameless soul.

"Dibs," I growled.

"I know," she settled me, "So! This party! What's that all about? Talk."

"Just a get together thrown by the host club," Kyoya pacified, "Nothing too extravagant."

"Theme?" Rhiannon asked, "I've been to a lot of parties over the years. Lot of proms. I've seen them all."

"I can't tell you that," he smirked, "It's a secret."

"Why does it have to be a secret?" she pouted, "Come on, Kyoya. Give me something."

"No," Kyoya shook his head, "That's Tamaki's idea. I can't go over our president's head. You'd have to ask him about any details. And if the events from earlier were any indication, I don't think he's in the position right now to discuss anything."

"Yeah," Rhiannon wondered, "What was with the whole daddy kink thing?"

"Tamaki has this habit of running the host club like a family," Kyoya explained, "I wouldn't say it's a kink. It's actually a genuine feeling. He's thought of Haruhi as his own since she stepped foot in the host club. She fascinated him. Growing up like most of us did, we weren't around commoners very much."

"Commoners…?" she gave him a look. But then, it finally set in, "Wait a minute…You guys are loaded, aren't you?!"

"In a matter of speaking."

"Now, I see why you're with him," Rhiannon gave me a nudge, "Good for you, Lana. Good for you. I really did raise you well."

"That's not why I'm with him, Rhi," I rolled my eyes, ready to stomp on her foot under the table. Or kick her. I haven't really decided yet, "Go on, Kyoya."

"So," she cut back in, "If Tamaki's Daddy, is there a Mommy, too?"

"Yes…" Kyoya grumbled, "Regrettably, going by the hierarchy of the host club, it's me."

"Does he call you Mommy…?"

"He does…"

"Rhiannon!" I snapped, "What did I tell you? A little bit of shame!"

"Sorry…" she bit her tongue, "I'm trying. I really am."

"Try a little harder," I snarled.

"What brings you to Tokyo, Rhiannon?" Kyoya asked, holding my hand under the table, trying to get me to relax a little, "As if I didn't already know."

"Let me guess," Rhiannon assumed, "Lana told you?"

"I just told him it was a work thing," I assured.

"You're going to Yoshi's shop, right?" Kyoya assumed.

"Yeah…" Rhiannon got nervous, "How did you know that? Are you stalking me?"

"Kyoya knows everything," I pointed out, "There's not much that gets by him."

"Very true," he agreed, "And I know Yoshi personally. He and I were talking the other day and he had mentioned a friend of his in New York. I remember Lana saying something about her sister working at a shop in New York. I did a little research about the shop he was talking about and I looked through the artists. Sure enough, I saw you on the website, Rhiannon. And I told Yoshi about you. I also told him how you were completely worthy of his mentoring. One thing led to another and Yoshi got Carlos on the phone."

"Did you…?" my voice broke, "Kyoya…Were you the one…?"

"I guess I should come clean, shouldn't I?" he smiled.

"Kyoya!" Rhiannon got up and gave my boyfriend the most body crushing hug she could have possibly given, "I think I love you."

"You're welcome," Kyoya could barely breathe and I could hear it in his voice, but he had given me my sister. That's all that mattered, "Lana said she missed you. If I couldn't fulfill my girlfriend's one little wish while making her sister happy in the process, what kind of boyfriend would I be?"

"You are the best kind of person," she wiped her eyes, "Lana, hold onto him and never let him go."

"I would," I giggled the tears back, "But by the looks of it, you're holding onto him and never letting him go."

"Awesome," she kissed his cheek, "Thank you, Kyoya. In case you didn't catch what I said in the host club before."

"I did," he promised, "And it's my pleasure to take care of Lana. You don't need to worry about her at all. She'll be fine."

"I love you, Kyoya," I blushed a little.

"I love you, too…"

Seeing my two favorite people in the world get along made me so happy. Even though Rhiannon had no shame and Kyoya had no boundaries, they were hitting it off better than I thought. And I hope to God that Rhi wasn't leaving any time soon. Maybe things will go so well with Yoshi that she'll end up at his shop full time and move to Japan. Then, when I threaten to beat her with a salami, I could actually go and beat her with a salami. And I'm sure the host club wouldn't mind keeping her around either.

 **A/N: Is Kyoya not the sweetest creature in the world? Or do I just have a Renge like vision of him? Both? I think it's both. It's probably both. It's safe to say I'm kind of a Kyoya fangirl. That's why I'm so happy a lot of you went with Kyoya when I asked who the favorite ship of this whole story was. Because I'm not sure if I could've made this story work with any other host. Although, I have written a fic about a reader x Mori kind of thing. It's deep in the bowels of my Tumblr account, if you want to find it.**

 **Also, quick question. Do I drop way too many Sebastian references in this through Kyoya? I feel like I do. Almost like they were the same person…*suspense music* But I do have this headcanon that Sebastian Michaelis lies dormant deep in the recesses of Kyoya Ootori's soul. And that sounds like the makings for another crossover fic. Whenever I'm done with everything here and I've stopped with the Kiss, Kiss (because it will come to an end someday) and the Kuroshitsuji series and the Dramatical Murder series (that's going to be coming to an end soon, for those of you that follow), I'm going to do a clean slate and like the first time around, I'm going to be doing one crossover in a week like I did with the Avengers/Jessica Jones fic. Maybe I could do an Ouran/Kuroshitsuji fic…And make it a little Sebastian and Kyoya centric…I don't know. Just kind of spitballing here. See you next chapter! xx**


	25. Her Chariot Awaits

Another normal morning. My usual text from Kyoya. My morning tea. My fistful of medication. A peaceful Saturday morning. Even the host club's party tonight didn't get me worked up like I thought it would. I've never felt so on kilter in my life. Was everything finally coming up Lana? I think it might be.

Knock, knock.

I grabbed my door to find my beloved sister on the other side, "Good morning, Rhi."

"Good morning," she flashed a package in front of my face, "This was on your welcome mat."

"What the hell...?" I took it from her, extremely puzzled, "Why would there be a package at my door?"

"Did you order something?" Rhiannon guessed, sitting at my kitchen table.

"No," I looked at the tag on it and everything made a little more sense.

 _With love,_

 _Hikaru and Kaoru_

Oh, no...What did they do? It was never a good sign when the twins were up to something. So much for my nice, calm morning with no monkey wrenches. I ask for one thing. Just one...

"Lana?" Rhiannon brought me back, "You ok?"

"It's from the twins," I put the package on the counter.

"My god, child," she teased, "How much of the host club's sugar baby are you?"

"I'm not their sugar baby," I rolled my eyes. I love her. I really do.

"Think about it, Lana," Rhiannon laid it out, "Hikaru and Kaoru send you presents. Kyoya takes you on vacation. Face it. Those are classic sugar baby symptoms."

"I'm not, I repeat, _NOT_ their sugar baby," I reiterated, "I'm no one's sugar baby. The host club is just very accommodating for someone like me."

"Whatever you say!" she let it go. For now, "Open it!"

"I will later," I grabbed my phone off the charger and shot a text to my favorite pair of brothers.

 _What's in the package?_

Ping! Ping!

 _We're not telling you! :P_

 _H+KH_

Even in a text message, those two were weirdly in perfect sync.

"So...?" Rhiannon sang, "What's the plan for today?"

"I don't know," I shrugged, "I don't have anything until the host club's party tonight."

"In that case, I own your ass," she decided, "If I were to pants you right now, on your left butt cheek, it would say, 'Property of Rhiannon Smith'. We are going out today whether you want to or not."

"Ok," I agreed, knowing better than to put up a fight with her, "What's the occasion?"

"The fact that you have a formal event to prepare for," Rhiannon spun me, "And I have a new credit card that I'm dying to break in."

"Um...Rhiannon..." I bit my tongue, terrified of her reaction to what I was about to tell her, "Kyoya kind of put me on his account...And I have his credit card..."

"Oooh!" she smirked, "Sugar baby strikes again! I'm telling you, Lana. You're the host club's sugar baby."

"Shut up!" I turned bright red, "I AM NOT!"

"Alright, alright," Rhiannon dropped it, "In that case, if you have the man friend's credit card, you're buying."

In all honesty, I didn't like having the man friend's credit card. I was just barely coming around to the idea of him spoiling the hell out of me whether I wanted it or not. When he actually presented me with his credit card and told me I was on his account, I wanted to punch him. Most girls wouldn't have batted an eye, but it made me a little uncomfortable. But he told me that it gave him one less thing to worry about, so I couldn't say no.

And so, Rhiannon and I began our shopping trip to Shibuya. All day, I silently was thanking God for her not wanting to go shopping in Harajuku. I could understand why she would, but it wasn't something for me. Subtle and Harajuku don't necessarily go hand in hand. And I wasn't bold enough to try anything there. It was all so beautiful, but not for me.

I'm just thankful she didn't lock me in a dressing room all day like she usually does on our shopping trips like this. When Hikaru and Kaoru took me here, it made me have flashbacks to the last time I was in New York with Rhi for a week. I had some time off from school and I could choose whether to go home and see the parents or go to New York and hang out with my sister. Lesser of two evils.

"Hold on," Rhiannon stopped me from going into another store. Weird. That was usually the other way around, "We need to get going, sweetie."

"Why?" I wondered, "Rhi, are you ok? Are you sick?"

"Ha, ha," she laughed sarcastically, "No. The host club party's in three hours and we need to get you ready."

"It's going to take that long?" I whined.

"Come on," Rhiannon took my hand and dragged me off, "I have a process."

"And your process is going to take three hours?"

"I like some buffer," she shrugged.

We began my walk of death row and the bus ride back to my apartment. This was going to suck. I could already tell. Rhiannon's vision was vastly different from my own. Rhiannon was an artist in all sense of the word. Her tattooing was beautiful. Her photography and her paintings made her a little money on the side. And her makeup skills were where she truly shined. But for someone that rarely wore any, that meant my face was her blank canvas. This may be the last time I ever walk into my apartment.

"Alright, Lana," she threw her bags down, "You said you'd open it later. Can you handle a knife?"

"Yes," I assured, understanding why she asked such a seemingly silly question.

"Open it!" Rhiannon sounded like a little kid on Christmas.

"Alright!" And just as persistent. You still love her, Lana. You don't want to kill her. You don't want to punch her. You don't want to mutilate her in any way, shape, or form no matter how tantalizing she makes it seem.

When I opened the package from Hikaru and Kaoru, I really didn't expect its contents. Then again, I should always expect the unexpected from those two. A light teal and a lilac purple shined beneath the brown paper. I pulled it out and let it cascade onto the floor. My god…It was stunning. I've never held a more exquisite dress in my life. If I didn't know any better, I'd think this belonged to a mermaid that got her legs.

"That's from the twins?" Rhiannon gasped, just as stunned by their gesture as I was.

"I need…" my voice broke, "Phone, Rhi. Where's my phone?"

"Here," she lobbed it to me.

I dialed Kaoru's number with shaky hands. I couldn't believe them. I couldn't believe they did this for me. I managed to regulate my breathing before anyone could answer. Slow. Steady. Maybe this was an accident. Yeah. Just one big misunderstanding. Everything's fine. This isn't for me. It's for someone else and they got the wrong address.

"Hi, Lana!" Kaoru chirped on the other end, "What's up?"

"What is this?" I started to get emotional again.

"What's what?"

"You know damn well, what's what," I assured, "I just opened a package that my sister found at my front door this morning."

"It took you this long to open it?" Hikaru asked in the background.

"I've been gone all day," I explained, "Now, what is this?"

"A gift," Kaoru said, "It was a collaborative effort."

"A collaborative effort with who?"

"Us!" the twins sang.

"With a little help from our mom," Hikaru credited, "And the boss."

"And Kyoya-senpai, too," Kaoru added, "You really should wear it tonight, Lana. We did have it custom made for you."

"Do I have to?" I cringed a little.

"Do you like it?" Hikaru asked.

"Of course I do," I promised, "And thank you for the effort, but it's too beautiful. I can't."

"It's perfect!" they harmonized, "See you tonight!"

Click.

Oh, the Hitachiin twins. I loved them and hated them all the same. A slight pain in my ass, but their hearts were in the right place. Wait a minute. They said it was custom made for me. When in the hell did they ever get my measurements?

"That's what they sent you?" Rhiannon gazed upon it with a jealous stare, "Where do I sign up for this host club?"

"I'm supposed to wear it tonight," I boiled my kettle. If there was anything I needed right now, it was a good cup of tea. Chamomile, maybe? No. This was an earl grey problem. If I were a bit more stressed, it'd be a green tea problem, but I hadn't reached green tea levels.

"Lana," I could see my sister's heart stop in her eyes, holding my dress in her hands, "This says Yuzuha Hitachiin on it."

"Yeah," I nodded.

"This says Yuzuha Hitachiin on it," she repeated in disbelief.

"The twins had it custom made for me," I dug around in my tea cabinet. There's no way...I can't be out of earl grey. I'm in the middle of a potential crisis. I can't be out of earl grey.

"You have a custom made dress from YUZUHA HITACHIIN?" Rhiannon dropped it like it was burning her fingers, "THIS IS HER DESIGN?"

"Actually," I explained, "It was her sons' design. And a couple of their friends. And she helped with it a little."

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU HAVE HERE?" If I didn't know any better, I'd think Rhiannon was about to pee herself.

"Care to fill me in?" I started sweating profusely.

"Is this a one of a kind?" Rhiannon wiped the blood from her nose.

"Probably."

"As far as Japanese designers go," she started to settle a little, "Yuzuha Hitachiin is a QUEEN. I'm a big fan."

"I can tell."

"I never pieced together that Hikaru and Kaoru were Yuzuha's boys until now," Rhiannon sighed out, "That's amazing. And this was theirs?"

"Yeah."

"Come on," she grabbed my wrist and one of her purchases from today, "We got work to do."

And that's what worried me. I was about to become the living embodiment of Rhiannon's artistic vision. I've seen some of the things she's drawn. I've thumbed through her sketchbook. Most of them look like she dropped acid before she got to work. I worried that I'd be another acid trip.

I would've preferred the day with the twins all over again. It was more or less the same thing, only with Rhiannon to contend with. With all the hair pulling she did, she better be taking me for dinner, too. Two hours straight. Rhiannon might as well have brought her guns with and forced that 'Property of Rhiannon Smith' tattoo on my ass. That probably would've hurt less.

"There," Rhi put her brushes down, "Done. And if you don't mind me saying this, you look like an honest to God princess, Lana."

"I do?" I took myself over in the bathroom mirror, expecting to see heavily pigmented blues and greens on my eyes with the thickest lines framing it. But no. It was less peacock and more pin up. Sure, the blues and the greens were still there, but a lot softer than I was expecting. I did look like a princess. Like a siren. And with my long, gold hair draped over my shoulder in a soft wave, I could very easily take down cargo ships, "I guess I do."

"You guess?" Rhiannon almost sounded insulted, "Lana, you're gorgeous. Don't let your low self-esteem crap get in the way of that. Because you don't deserve that."

"Thank you, Rhi," I wiped gently under my eyes, blinking back tears.

"You're welcome, sweetheart," she gave me the biggest hug, knowing what I needed, "Anytime you need this little reminder, let me know. I'll be on the first flight here."

"I will." All day, I wanted to punch my sister square in the face, but in the end, I know she'll always come through for me. Especially if it means improving how I saw myself.

"Hey," Rhiannon loosened her grip, "Do you hear horses or am I just on drugs?"

Ping!

I grabbed my phone off the kitchen counter. Sure enough, I had a text message from my dear boyfriend, who I haven't heard from since I woke up. And that was starting to worry me. It wasn't like Kyoya to go all day without at least texting me. And he probably knew I was spending the day with Rhiannon. Maybe he was just letting me spend some quality time with my sister. No. I knew better. Kyoya had an ulterior motive for everything and anything.

 _Whenever you're ready, look outside._

 _KO_

I hurried up and threw my dress on, making sure to keep everything in place. When I looked outside, a horse drawn carriage sat in front of my building. Those boys never knew when to quit, did they? I slipped my heels on and went outside. A little on the cooler side tonight. Good. Something to keep my body temperature regulated.

"Oh my God…" I wasn't going to cry. I wasn't going to get overwhelmed.

"Lana!" Tamaki jumped down.

"Hi, Tamaki," I kept myself together, "What's all this about?"

"We thought we'd come get you!" he sang.

"We?"

"Hi, Lana-chan!" Honey chirped with the faint outline of Mori behind him.

"Hi, Lana!" the twins stuck their head out the window.

"Really?" I shook a little, "All this just to get me?"

"What's going on out here?" Rhiannon joined us, "Oh, damn. Host club's riding in style, I see."

"Well, Lana," Tamaki took my hand, "You are our princess. Let us treat you like one."

"Swoon," my sister sighed out behind me, "You guys go ahead. I'll catch up. I might be a little late, but I'll be there soon."

"Ok," I couldn't make any other words. But thank God, the lighting wasn't good enough for them to actually see me. But I didn't need to see who helped me in the back. I knew who that was. And he kept a hold of my hand all the way to Ouran Academy. I never wanted him to ever let go.

 **A/N: My heart…Be still. That's not happening. This chapter. I love. I love it so much. Because it's so plausible. You can't tell me that the twins wouldn't do something like this. Or that Tamaki could keep his mitts out of it. Or Kyoya for that matter. If you thought this chapter was going to make your heart go all pitter patter, just wait. JUST YOU WAIT. And in case you were wondering, yes. Lana is, in fact, the host club's sugar baby. See you next chapter! xx**


	26. The Clock Strikes Midnight

As soon as we arrived at Ouran Academy, usual host club guests stood around waiting for the boys to show up. If I didn't know any better, I'd think the Queen was in town. Or I time traveled to the sixties when the Beatles came to America. These boys were rockstars. Whether they wanted to admit it or not.

First, Haruhi and the twins popped out from the coach. Followed by Honey and Mori. Then, unfortunately, Kyoya had to let go of my hand. And then, Tamaki jumped out. He extended his hand to me to help me down. And once I stepped out, the screaming crowd of girls fell dead silent. Why did Tamaki have to bring me into better lighting? Why couldn't I just remain a shadow? Was that too much to ask?

Although, what made it all worth it? While the crowd droned into soft murmurs, questioning who I was, I caught a glimpse of my boyfriend's reaction out of the corner of my eye. I had him floored. Not obviously floored, but floored nonetheless. And he was trying to hide it. I could see his tells all over his face. Kyoya's cheeks slowly started turning a light shade of pink and he wouldn't stop playing with his cufflinks. His trembling hands took mine and he brought me inside.

Whoever did the decorating deserves an award. The twinkle lights hung among the streamers in various shades of blue and green. It looked like what I imagined being underwater would look like. Of course, I'd never know what that looked like outside of being in the tunnels in the aquarium. I couldn't swim. Well...That explains the dress now...

And so, the party commenced. All of the other girls were either going on about how beautiful everything was or they were trying to figure out who I was. A few had even come up to me, asking me that very question. I didn't really care for them, though. Because I couldn't find my reason for coming to this damn thing in the first place. I could've sworn I had just seen Kyoya. Where the hell did he run off to?

I broke away from this group of girls trying to play with my hair and ran off to find Kyoya instead. It might not have been him, but I found the next best thing. And I swear to God, Rhiannon Lee. You change your hair like people change their underpants. Make up your mind. Although, even though the bright cherry red it was before would've worked with the party theme, too, the bright blue and purple combination worked really well on her.

"Rhiannon," I tapped on her shoulder, breaking her away from a group of high school boys she didn't need to be hitting on. And they didn't need to be hitting on her either.

"Excuse me, boys," she called them off, "Hey, Lana. Is everything ok?"

"Have you seen Kyoya?" I asked, "I feel like I haven't seen him since we got here."

"I haven't," Rhiannon shook her head, "You have any idea where he'd be?"

"One," I bit my tongue. I remembered the state he was in the last time I found him there. I'd rather not have to help Kyoya through another anxiety attack like that. If I have to, I will. That's just being a decent human being. But I really hope he's not holed up somewhere bringing himself down.

"Wherever he is," my sister threw her arm around me, "I'm sure he's fine. Now, can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot," I hoped to God she was right.

"Is it in bad taste to bring booze to a high school party?" she wondered, showing me the half a dozen mini bottles of liquor in her bag, "Or is it just cliche?"

"Rhiannon!" I rolled my eyes, "No! Don't you dare spike that punch bowl. I will beat you with a newspaper like you just peed on the carpet."

"It's just for me!" she swore, "I promise! I won't share."

"Thank you," I grumbled, already done with her.

"Unless you wanted some..."

"No!" I snapped, "Besides, I can't."

"Because you're only sixteen?" Rhiannon figured.

"Can't mix it with the medication," I wanted to strangle her so hard. So very, very hard. Sometimes, I wonder which one is the adult between us, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go find my boyfriend."

"Good luck!" she kissed the top of my head and sent me on my merry way.

I left the main ballroom and headed upstairs. Note to self, I left my shoes outside the bathroom by the kendo room. When I was first picking out my classes for Ouran, I gave consideration to taking kendo, but between my doctor and my guidance councelor, they wouldn't let me. Understandable, though. It'd get out my unnecessary aggression if any were to arise, but they were worried if I'd be able to stop or not.

I pushed open the door to the music room, only to find it vacant. Hopefully, it was vacant everywhere. I checked all of the dressing rooms and aside from the occasional couple in there making out, Kyoya was nowhere to be found. So, either he was silently freaking out elsewhere or he was able to keep his lid tight. I swear to God, I'm going to start keeping a bell on him.

I went back downstairs to the ballroom and continued my search. Where in the hell would Kyoya have ran off to? When he told me about this event, he said he wanted to go with me. I didn't realize it would've been a group date with the host club. I had hoped we would've spent a little time together. And he said he wouldn't care about how many host club policies it was breaking. For someone as type A as Kyoya to say that, I accepted it as personal growth. I didn't want to say it, but I think I might have been wrong.

"Lana!" Speaking of the host club, their fearless leader had found me, "What are you doing all by yourself? You're missing the party."

"I'm kind of in the middle of something, Tamaki," I brushed him off, "What do you want?"

"Do you think I could trouble you for a dance?" he bowed to me, offering his hand.

"I don't know," I got shaky, "Do you remember the last time you asked me for a dance?"

"This is different," he argued, "This isn't in my house and it's much more public. Besides, this is what the host club is here for."

"You do realize this is glorified prostitution, right?" I teased, taking Tamaki's hand.

"You wouldn't be the first one to call us that," Tamaki chuckled, pulling me toward him, "Glorified prostitution. Reverse harem. We've heard them all. So, is that a yes then?"

I really needed to go back to finding Kyoya, but I guess this was one way of looking, "Fine."

As soon as the two of us made it to the middle of the dance floor, Kiss the Girl came on. Of course. The party wouldn't be right without it. I just wish I knew where the Prince Eric to my Ariel was. I was starting to get worried. Even though the party was going swimmingly, Kyoya was still probably running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

"You know," Tamaki spun me around, "We did throw this party for you."

My feet froze in their step, "What?"

"Little do you know," he kept me moving, "You are very special to us. I saw something in you as soon as you walked in our doors. As soon as your eyes opened back up."

"Yeah," I scoffed, remembering my first trip to the host club, "I'm in there ten minutes and I pass out."

"No," Tamaki scolded me, "Don't do that. You're our princess. And I love you, Lana."

"What?" I could feel stomach bile rising in the back of my throat and dizziness in my head. No. Lana, no. Don't throw up. Don't pass out, "But Tamaki...You and Haruhi..."

"I know," he settled me, "Not like I love Haruhi. That's completely different. When she and I first met, I thought I loved her like a daughter. That is until the day another girl walked through the host club's doors and passed out on our floor. Then, I realized what love for a daughter felt like."

"I'm not following, Tamaki," my head spun a little more.

"I want you taken care of, Lana," he pulled me tight against his chest, "I want you to always be ok and to never have to go through anything alone. And to know we're always here for you. Every one of us. Any time of day. Any day of the week. Even if you decide to leave Japan after the year is over and your scholarship is done, we're not going anywhere. You'll always have us."

"Tamaki..." a familiar voice kept me from bawling in his shoulder.

"Yes, Kyoya?" Tamaki continued to dance with me.

"Do you mind if I cut in?" Kyoya requested

"Yes, I do," Tamaki shot him down, "I'm dancing with Lana."

"Tamaki, please," he begged. Weird. I never saw Kyoya beg before. It was kind of a turn on. There's a part of me that I never thought would've been awakened tonight.

"Nope," Tamaki kept a hold of me, "Daddy says no."

"Mommy says yes," Kyoya ripped me away from him, kissing me more deeply and more passionately than he ever has before, sending chills and shocks to my toes and catching the attention of the entire host club. Along with a few jealous looks from some of the usual clients, "I'm so sorry, Lana..."

"What for?" I recovered from the initial shock.

"I've left you alone all night," he held me close, "Only to find you in the arms of my best friend."

Who was still standing there in pure disbelief. Before Kyoya could spiral any further, I rested my head on his chest, "I was looking for you."

"But I found you," his shaking began to ease, "I love you."

"I love you, too…"

And I couldn't have been happier. I didn't even care about the crowd of jealous girls that probably wanted to tear me limb from limb because I had a host and they didn't. I didn't care about the host club themselves that were absolutely dumbfounded by what had just happened. I didn't care about the lewd hand gestures my sister was making in the corner. I didn't even care about the fallout that was guaranteed on Monday. We had each other. And we'd always have each other.

As the evening came to an end, everyone had gone home, but Rhi and the boys came with me back to my house. And we were right back to where we were yesterday. My living room had the same feel the music room did when we were sitting around BS-ing. Only this time, I could sit in Kyoya's lap without hiding our relationship from the others. Haruhi and Tamaki, too. Same way.

"We have a question!" the twins chimed in perfect harmony.

Surprise, surprise, "What?"

"How long have you and Kyoya-senpai been a thing, Lana?"

"Let's see," I looked up at Kyoya, "Karuizawa? Yeah?"

"When were you in Karuizawa?" Tamaki squeaked.

"Over break," Kyoya told, "After Lana's parents left town."

"So, that's why you were so ok after Mom and Dad left," Rhiannon pieced it together, "You knew that Karuizawa was waiting just around the corner."

"Not necessarily," I clarified, "I was still pretty pissed after Mom and Dad left and still pretty shook up, but Kyoya and I had the plans for Karuizawa set in motion long before they left. I didn't even know where we were going when we left. He just told me to pack a bag and I did."

"Pretty ballsy for you, sweetie," she nudged me, "You've never been the type for spontaneity."

"I'm not either," Kyoya admitted, "But I did have Karuizawa planned nearly down to the minute."

Minus the one thing we agreed to never talk about again.

"Well," Tamaki sighed out, "I can't say I'm not ecstatic about this. After hearing about Mori-senpai's feelings for Lana, I had my money on that materializing into true love."

"That would've been nice to see," Honey agreed, "But it should be Lana-chan's decision in the end, right?"

"Mori-senpai was the only one that knew about Lana and me," Kyoya told, "If anyone can keep a secret…"

"That's true," I smiled at Mori, "There's no one I'd trust more."

"Thank you, Lana," he reciprocated the sentiment.

"How was that settled?" Hikaru wondered.

"Yeah," Kaoru agreed, "I would've expected more of a fight."

"Let's just say," I stepped in, "Kyoya and Mori know some things about me that no one else in this room knows, except for Rhiannon, but she's my sister. That's understandable. And it's going to stay that way. Kyoya gets me better than Mori does. That's all it boils down to."

"Not to mention," Kyoya went on, "He and I talked it over and came to the same agreement. We weren't going to fight over her. Mostly because in a physical fight, I'm sure Mori-senpai would be able to best me and in a mental fight, I'd be able to best him. So, we calmly talked it over and here we are."

"But now that you and Lana are together, Kyoya," Tamaki beamed, "Haruhi and I finally have someone to double date with!"

"Really, senpai?" Haruhi rolled her eyes, "That's the highlight of Lana and Kyoya-senpai being together?"

"Of course!" his excitement only elevated.

"What am I going to do with you?" she shook her head, reevaluating her life choices.

"If you think about it," I pointed out, "We've already been on a double date, Tamaki. The four of us."

"Oh?" I had him, "How do you figure?"

"The flea market," I reminded, feeling Kyoya hide a smile in my neck, "Remember? When Kyoya bitched at you for stalking Haruhi and me."

"The boss is a pervert!" Hikaru and Kaoru sang out.

"No, I'm not!" Tamaki blushed.

"Boys!" Rhiannon knocked their heads together.

"Ow…" Hikaru whined.

"Sorry, Rhiannon," Kaoru apologized.

"Go on, Lana," she allowed.

"Wow, Rhiannon," Haruhi chuckled, "I'm amazed that none of us have thought of that before."

"We've thought of it," Kyoya assured, "We've just never executed it."

"Hey!"

"Go on, Lana," Rhiannon repeated herself, ready to club the twins again.

"But when the four of us were browsing the flea market," I recalled, "Did you and Haruhi not venture off together, Tamaki?"

"We did," he nodded.

"And did Kyoya and I not venture off?"

"You did."

"That was the first time I spent the night with you," Kyoya cradled me.

"Was that when you woke up," Rhiannon wondered, "and he was making pancakes?"

"Yep," I confirmed.

"What?!" Tamaki's nose spurted blood all over the place, "You've stayed with her overnight, Kyoya?!"

"Several times," he nodded, "That one is one we don't like to talk about."

"Let me guess," Rhiannon figured, "Mom and Dad?"

"Yeah," I'd rather forget that reasoning, too.

"So, Mommy was keeping a big secret from Daddy," Hikaru smirked.

"About one of his little girls," Kaoru mirrored his brother.

"Tamaki doesn't handle delicate matters with much delicacy," Kyoya told, "Haruhi, you may want to catch that."

"On it," Haruhi pulled a cloth from her bag and put it under Tamaki's nose.

"How many times have you stayed with her, Kyo-chan?" Honey asked.

"Let's see," Kyoya thought it over, "There was the first time…"

"The night my parents got here," I added.

"The following night."

"The weekend in Karuizawa."

"The day I skipped out on the host club for the aquarium."

"The night you made me skip out on the host club."

"And you haven't stayed with me since," we wrapped up our list, "So, eight times?"

"I think you're due to come stay with me," he smirked a little, kissing the top of my head.

"One day," I promised, suppressing a yawn, "Now, if you'll all excuse me, I think I'm going to go to bed."

"Me, too," Rhiannon agreed, "You don't have to go home, kids, but you can't stay here."

"You can, though," I kept Kyoya from getting up.

"My pleasure," he cradled me in his lap.

"Good night, guys," Haruhi herded the rest of the host club out of my house.

"Let's all go to Haruhi's now!" the twins suggested.

"No!"

The door shut behind them and I curled into Kyoya's chest. This was exactly what I needed. A good night of fun with my favorite group of boys, my best girl friend, my sister, and to top it all off, my man to cuddle with at the end of it. For the first time, life was truly good. I had a day where my anxiety didn't happen too severely. Where my depression never showed its face. Where everything was actually going my way. And I couldn't be happier.

 **A/N: Does this make up for the incident in Karuizawa? Please say yes. This was a warm, fuzzy, fluffy chapter. This was a cozy blanket on a winter day. This was probably one of my favorite chapters. Lana and Kyoya are out to the host club. Tamaki handled it better than we all expected, even though he still ended up with a nosebleed. Also, can we talk about Tamaki coming to terms with the whole Daddy thing? With Lana? And did you like the little Kiss the Girl moment? Tamaki saying no to Kyoya to dance with Lana was payback for stealing Haruhi from him at the Ouran Fair! Only difference was that Tamaki didn't have the stones to take Haruhi back. But now, everything's making me so happy. Just wait for Sunday morning, kids. Or Monday morning for that matter. Hold onto your hats.**

 **Now, I understand that I told some of you that I had an idea for Rhiannon to spike the punch bowl and we'd get to see the host club drunk out of their skin, but I scrapped it for the Kiss the Girl sequence. Thought it'd be more tasteful. No drunk hosts today. Not saying it won't happen, though…Rhiannon hasn't left Tokyo yet, has she? See you next chapter! xx**


	27. The Morning After

Did I hallucinate last night or did I actually enjoy myself at a social occasion? I woke up in my bed by myself and in pajamas. But the smell...The smell was purely intoxicating. Kyoya was still here. However, mixed chatter hummed in my living room. I slid my bedroom door open and found...the host club? What the hell were they doing here? Still half asleep, I grabbed my hoody off my bedroom chair and stumbled into the main room of my apartment.

"Good morning," Rhiannon greeted me, "Sleeping in, are we?"

"What the hell are you all doing here?" I groaned, heading for the kitchen.

"The door was open," Hikaru and Kaoru chimed.

"We missed you!" Tamaki added.

"Kyo-chan was making pancakes," Honey sang.

"I'm your damn sister," Rhiannon defended, "I don't need an invitation."

"And you let me stay here," Kyoya pulled me against his chest, kissing my forehead.

"Ok," I rubbed my eyes, melting in my boyfriend's arms, "Tea. I need tea. Kyoya. Tea. Is there any made?"

"Jasmine and honey," Kyoya gave me a cup.

"Bless you," I took my initial drink, burning my lips in the best way. Then, I took out my pill sorter and emptied Sunday down my throat, "So, what's happening out here?"

"Just getting nostalgic," Rhiannon offered me a spot next to her.

"Oh, fantastic," I rested my head on my sister's shoulder, waiting for my tea to kick in, "Pre or post diagnosis?"

"Pre," she said, "The day you were born specifically."

"Great," I rolled my eyes, "My last day of mental stability."

"Oh, hush, you," Rhiannon scolded, "That was a long day. I remember the first time I saw you. I thought you looked like a little pug."

"Gee," I grumbled, my voice dripping with bitter sarcasm, "Thanks, Rhi. I feel so loved."

"You got cuter!" she gave me an apologetic hug, "You were just a wrinkly baby, honey. Not your fault."

"I can confirm this," Kyoya chimed in, "You did get much cuter."

"You are adorable, Lana," Tamaki awed, "Precious, stunning, gorgeous."

"Ease up, senpai," Haruhi stopped him.

"Why?" Tamaki snuggled her, "Getting jealous?"

"No," Haruhi reveled in his embrace, "Lana was changing color. I could see it in her eyes she wanted you to stop."

"Thank you, Haruhi," I sipped on my tea. In all honesty, I loved having everybody here. It really did feel like having a family. Tamaki was the outlandishly fun dad. Kyoya was the mom that had to discipline the children. The twins were the weird uncles that Mom would tell us to be cautious around. Honey and Mori were the cousins we grew up with that are practically our siblings. Haruhi was Daddy's little girl. And that left me. Mommy's favorite. And we all watched out for each other. Especially me. I'm sure Kyoya and Mori had something to do with that. Regardless, I wouldn't trade these guys for the world.

"Hey, Lana," Rhiannon, the crazy aunt that only shows up when it's Christmas or needed bail money, gave me a look, "What's that on your wrist?"

"What?" my stomach dropped. I didn't have any new scars. I hadn't opened any up since I got to Japan. And I know Rhi knew better than to point them out. Definitely not in front of so many people. Every family had its secrets and I wanted to take that one to my grave.

"Yeah," she peeked in my sleeve, "I thought I told you I was going to be the first one to ink you up, Lana. What the hell? I can't believe you cheated on me."

"But I didn't..." I shivered as Rhiannon carefully pushed my sleeve up. I even caught Mori jump out of the corner of my eye. Slowly, the deep blue cotton wiggled up my arm, revealing a mermaid laying among a grouping of big, bright pink hibiscus blossoms, covering my scars.

"See?" she scolded, "You did cheat on me!"

"Lana!" Hikaru gasped.

"When did you get a tattoo?" Kaoru asked.

"I didn't get a tattoo," I assured, marveling at the beautiful design on my arm, "Kyoya, did you draw on me while I was sleeping again?"

"I might have," Kyoya admitted, "By the way, there's a fresh package of permanent markers in your nightstand drawer."

"This is gorgeous, Kyoya," Rhiannon praised, admiring the cover-up on my arm, "Tell me you plan on doing something with this."

"I'd love to," Kyoya sighed, "But that's not part of the plan for me, unfortunately. Until then, if I can put it to good use by drawing on my girlfriend, so be it."

"Now I understand how you know Yoshi," she studied it closer, finding all of my scars hidden in the flowers, "If the great, grand master plan doesn't work out for you, would you want to join me in a little business venture?"

"Depends on the business venture," she had his attention.

"As much as I love Carlos to death," Rhiannon told, "I'm thinking about leaving his shop and opening one of my own. You wouldn't happen to want to learn how to work a gun, would you?"

"Tattooing?" Kyoya gave her a look, "Really?"

"This is just Sharpies and free time," she pointed out, "Imagine what you'd be able to do with a different kind of brush."

"And not honor the long tradition of my entire family being doctors...?" Kyoya thought it over, "Let me sleep on it."

"I'm telling you," Rhiannon begged, "If you need a good way to kill your summer, hop the plane with Lana and come to New York. I've already started scouting for locations."

"That sounds like a great idea!" Tamaki chimed in, "We could all go!"

"I don't know about that, Tama-chan," Honey got a bit nervous, "I'm not sure if I'm allowed back in the US."

"That was years ago, Mitsukuni," Mori settled him, "I'm sure you can now."

"Oh, my…" Rhiannon bit her tongue, "Hello, nurse…"

"Hmm?" he questioned my sister's sanity.

"It's a lot to take in," I settled her, "I was kind of the same way."

"Don't worry, Mori-senpai," Kyoya assured, "It's a compliment."

"Rhiannon's kind of got a thing about voices," I explained, "And I don't think she's ever heard you speak."

"Oh," Mori gave me a quick nod.

"Hey, Mori," Rhiannon asked, "How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

And just like that, Rhiannon's face lit up like a Christmas tree, "He's…Legal…"

"No," I shoved my finger in her face, "Kyoya, you wouldn't happen to have your spray bottle for Tamaki, would you?"

"I got it," Haruhi pulled it out of her bag.

"What?" Tamaki squeaked, "Do I really need one of them?"

"You need a backpack leash, senpai," Haruhi teased.

"No," I sprayed my sister in her face, "No. No. No. No."

"Ok! Ok!" she shielded herself, "Then again, I'll be in Japan for a while."

"RHIANNON!" I unscrewed the nozzle and dumped the entire contents of the bottle over her.

"Fine!" she pouted.

And that's how we spent our lazy Sunday. Rhi hitting on Mori. Me having to refill the spray bottle several times. The twins encouraging it. Being teased about what happened last night with Kyoya and me. I was going to need this feeling. This feeling was going to get me through once it hit Monday morning…

As soon as I got to Ouran, I heard a mixture of hushed whispers as I walked through the halls. I kept my head down as much as I could. Then, I got to my first class of the day. Homeroom. Good. I could bury myself in busy work and distract myself. And if things got too hard and I found myself spiraling, I had a clipping taped to the inside of one of my notebooks.

 _Your first mistake was wandering into a seemingly abandoned music room. Your second mistake was coming back. By the looks of it, the bell is going to ring soon. I love you._

Even when he wasn't right there with me, Kyoya could still take care of me.

"I'm telling you," one of the girls that sat in front of me whispered to her friend, "I was there. That's the girl."

"Excuse me," the other turned around, "Can I ask you something?"

"Um," I started shaking a little, "Sure."

"Aren't you the girl dating Kyoya Ootori?" she asked.

"Y-Yes…" I stuttered.

"Huh…" the first one relaxed in her chair, "We never thought we'd see the day."

"Yeah," her friend agreed, "Kyoya's a complete ice king. He's as cold as they come."

"I always thought he and Tamaki were gay together," another chimed in.

"No," I confirmed.

"What's it like?"

"Kyoya's super hot."

"And he's so smart!"

"I bet he's freak, too. He's into some things…"

"It's always the quiet ones."

"Um…" I just wanted them to go away, "It's…Fine?"

"Oh, honey," the girl in front of me had pity in her eyes, "That bad?"

"I never said it was-"

RING!

Thank God. I got up from my seat and made a beeline for the girls' bathroom. As soon as I was done dry heaving, I tried to steady my breathing. Why couldn't they have just left me alone? Why couldn't Kyoya have just told the host club the easy way? Why did it have to involve such a spectacle? Why did we have to come out as a couple to almost the entire school? Why did I have to fall in love with him of all people? Why did I have to fall for a host?

"Lana?" a familiar voice broke the sounds of my sobbing.

"Haruhi…?" I assumed, hoped.

"Are you ok?" she worried.

"No…"

"Let me in," she knocked on my stall door. I undid the lock and let her in. Almost immediately, Haruhi's arms were around me, "What's wrong? What happened?"

"There were girls in my homeroom," I wiped the tears from my eyes, "They were asking about Kyoya and me and I tried to handle it the best I could."

"It's none of their business," Haruhi assured, "You don't have to tell anyone anything, Lana. Remember that."

"They also thought," I started to settle down, "that your boyfriend and my boyfriend were gay for each other."

"Who hasn't?" she giggled, "That's been a rumor around Ouran since the host club began. But I know better. Senpai's too in love with me. And Kyoya's too in love with you. Just because he's a host doesn't mean he loves you any less. If anyone in our circle knows and understands that, it's me. At least you're not dating the most popular host."

Then, I saw it in her eyes. I wasn't the only one suffering. Haruhi had to watch her boyfriend openly flirt with other girls every single day and they probably couldn't even hold hands in the hallway. Although Tamaki doesn't hide his affection for Haruhi, everyone still thinks Haruhi is another boy. When all of the host club knows better.

"Thanks, Haruhi," I put my head on her shoulder.

"No problem," she smiled, "Come on. I'll walk to class with you."

I really needed that. Haruhi knew when she was needed. Kyoya was like that, too. If he could've come in the girls' bathroom, I'm sure he would've been here, too. However, the bathroom was the calm before the storm. Homeroom wasn't even the worst of it. The rest of the day went by with random girls coming up to me asking about Kyoya. Any aspect of our relationship. As much as they could get their little hands on. It was enough to keep me away from him in biology. And I could tell I had him a bit worried.

Finally, the day was over and I made a beeline to the host club. If there was anywhere in this school I needed to be more than anything, it was the music room. I sat quiet by Kyoya's usual desk where he'd be balancing the host club's books, managing shipping arrangements, doing his usual duties while the others would be tending to their guests. When he got in, Kyoya took me by the hand and brought me into one of the dressing rooms.

"Lana," he held me against his chest, "What's wrong? You've been oddly quiet today."

"People talk," I swallowed the lump in my throat, "People talk too much. And to me. I've nearly shattered so many times today, Kyoya. I could hardly handle it. I've almost fallen apart. My scars started itching. I just needed to get out and there was no way."

"I know," Kyoya cradled me, kissing my cheek, "You don't need to worry about them anymore. You're alright now. We're alright. Just be glad Renge wasn't here today."

"I'm dreading Renge," I shivered in his embrace.

"Don't worry about Renge," he assured, "We'll be fine, Lana. Tell you what. What are you doing this weekend?"

"I don't know," I shrugged, "I think Rhiannon is working with Yoshi, so she'll be tied up. I don't think I have anything going on."

"Well," Kyoya pushed my hair out of my face, "My parents are going to be gone until next Monday. Why don't you come stay with me this weekend?"

"Ok," I wasn't even going to question it. It wouldn't be the first time Kyoya and I have spent a weekend together. And he did say that I had to come stay with him one of these nights. Why not this weekend? I could do that.

 **A/N: Hi, guys! As much as I'd love to BS with you about the story right now, I'm kind of pressed for time when I'm writing this, but I'm still lurking in that review section, so any questions, feel free to ask. I'll get back to you eventually. Now, I have a little bit of news. I'm going to be going on hiatus until December. NaNo season is next month and I'll kind of need to focus all my energy on that. In case you don't know what that means, it's 50,000 words in 30 days. I highly suggest taking the challenge. It's like Christmas for me, so Auntie Lumi isn't going to be around until December. So, wish me luck! And I'll see you next chapter. xx**


	28. Odd Things Happen En Route to the Club

**A/N: Well, since checking in through the review section didn't seem to work, I guess the only way I can get through to you guys is by posting. So, here. Have an update. I will accept thank yous in the form of Edible Arrangements sent to my house. I will be waiting. We'll talk more at the end when this makes more sense.**

This entire week had gone by in a flash. I actually had something to look forward to for a change. A whole weekend of just me and Kyoya. No other worries. Rhiannon was going to be with Yoshi all weekend. It'd be just the two of us. Like Karuizawa only closer to home. And hopefully without the threat of night terrors again.

Granted, I still had girls asking me about Kyoya, but I was getting better about handling them. Mostly by avoiding them completely. Although, when Friday finally rolled around, a group of them had cornered me in the hall while I was on my way to the host club. And there was absolutely no way of getting out of it.

"Are you the girl dating Kyoya Ootori?" one of them asked.

"Yeah," I quivered in fear, waiting for when my bladder would give out.

"Really?" another scoffed, "Aren't you a commoner, though?"

"Yes…" Come on, bladder. Stay strong.

"I bet he's only dating her to get his father's attention," the first one assumed, "There's no way a blue blood like Kyoya is with her on purpose. That's the kind of thing that only happens in fairy tales and Kyoya always has an ulterior motive for everything."

"Excuse me?" a familiar, shrill voice broke them up while I dealt with the looming panic attack hanging over my head.

"Don't even pretend, Renge," she rolled her eyes, "Out of everyone in this school, no one else is more hopelessly in love with Kyoya than you. What are you doing on her side?"

"Of course I'm hopeless for Kyoya," Renge assured, "I still am. But if Lana is what my Kyoya wants, then so be it. Even if it means not me. Now, leave her alone!"

The group of girls walked away just as annoyed with me as they were with Renge. But I was kind of shocked to see her, of all people, come to my rescue, "Thanks, Renge."

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"Yeah," I nodded, "I'm fine. I came down quicker than expected."

"We should probably get to the host club," Renge thought out loud, "I'm sure Kyoya's worried about you."

I wasn't sure what I had just seen, but I think it may have been personal growth on Renge's part. Good for her. But I couldn't help myself. I had to poke the bear a little bit, "Are you?"

"Am I what?" she wondered.

"Are you ok?" I reiterated, "I've heard stories about you through the host club, Renge. From what I understand, you really were deeply in love with Kyoya. Now, here you are, making friends with his girlfriend. Wouldn't you hate me?"

"No," Renge let out a heavy sigh, "As much as I'd love to be with Kyoya, even more so, I just want to see him happy. And I've never seen him like this with me. If you're what it takes to keep a smile on his face, I can accept that. Don't get me wrong. If the opportunity arose, I'd snap Kyoya away in a heartbeat, but for now, I want to see how this plays out."

Renge was a tricky thing. An odd creature that took a minute to comprehend, but I'm sure one day, we'd be on decent terms. I grabbed the door to the music room and walked in with her, getting some shocked faces on the members of the host club. Not really that surprising. I mean, Renge does want my boyfriend more than anything in the worst way and I can't blame her. But I found Kyoya and made myself comfortable on his lap, curling into his chest, "Hi."

"Hello, Lana," Kyoya nuzzled his face in my neck, "Forgive me, but what were you doing coming into the host club with Renge?"

"She and I are cool now," I told, "She stopped a bunch of girls who were harassing me in the hallway."

"Remind me to thank her later," he was just as surprised and maybe a little confused as I was. Brushing the thought off completely, Kyoya held me a little tighter, "So? You ready for this weekend?"

"It's all I could think about all week," I beamed, making sure to keep my voice down.

"Me, too."

But to no avail, we had two hosts slink behind us, "Oh?"

"What's this weekend?" Hikaru asked.

"Nothing," Kyoya shut them down almost instantly.

"Oh," the twins awed in unison, sounding so disappointed.

I rested my head on Kyoya's shoulder and whispered in his ear, "You think we could stop by my place first, so I can grab a few things?"

"That's fine," Kyoya allowed, "Plus, it'll get the rest of the host club off our backs if they decide to follow us. They're usually pretty good about the whole privacy thing, but ever since you came into the club, it's been more for safety reasons."

"Safety reasons?" I wondered.

"You've worried all of us since day one," he confessed, "I knew all about you before you even came in."

"Because you know everything about everyone," I giggled, "I know."

"I knew about your beautiful mind," Kyoya kissed my temple, "I knew about your trips to the hospital. I figured out your special secret before you showed me in the library."

"That was more or less because you understood," I reminded him, "How long did it take before you could go out in short sleeves again?"

"It took a while," he went on, "But not important right now. A couple times a week, one of the members of the club would follow you home to make sure you got there ok. Anyone that saw any signs of you being in a not so good mental state immediately reported back to me. I know it comes off like we were stalking you, but we weren't. We were concerned."

"In that case," I asked, "When I was staying at Haruhi's…"

"Haruhi was the one keeping an eye on you then," Kyoya explained, "Tamaki was still being creepy. He went rogue without telling me."

"Hence the verbal beating you gave him," I remembered. His words still echoed in my mind.

 _That doesn't give you the right to be creepy! Especially with her!_

"Yes," Kyoya nodded, "Hence the verbal beating."

"Can I ask you something?" I requested, "And you answer it completely honestly?"

"Of course," he nodded, "What is it?"

"Were you jealous of Tamaki getting to see Haruhi and me?"

"A little," Kyoya admitted, "But I still wouldn't have been on the roof of Haruhi's building. Even for me, that's a little excessive."

"Says the guy that could probably hack the Pentagon if he wanted to out of boredom," I teased.

"If I tried hard enough, I'm sure," he shrugged, "After the host club closes for the day, we can go to your place. That's fine."

I had gotten so excited about this weekend, in my insomnia last night, I had already packed my overnight. All I had to do was go in, grab my bag, grab my pill sorter, and it was off to Kyoya's. As soon as I walked in the door, I had an unexpected, albeit pleasant surprise waiting for me in my living room. It's strange. I don't remember giving her a key to my apartment.

"Hiya, Lana!" Rhiannon sang from my couch, "What are you crazy kids up to?"

"Horrid choice of words," I pointed out. We weren't crazy. We were sick. There's a difference. At least that's what my doctors said, "But nothing. We're not up to anything."

"Really now?" she smirked, "Then, why did I find your overnight bag on your bed fully packed?"

"Dammit," I grumbled to myself, "I'm going to Kyoya's for the weekend. After the hellish week I've had, he was kind enough to come through on what he said after the host club party. I'll be gone all weekend. If you want, you're more than welcome to crash here."

"Thanks!" Rhiannon chirped.

"But no bringing one night stands back here," I stipulated, "You want to go get some, get it at their place. I don't need to come home to my apartment smelling like sweat and shame."

"I won't," she promised, throwing me my pill sorter, "You kids be safe now. If you need anything, condoms, a ride to the clinic, let me know, ok?"

"Thank you, Rhiannon," I growled, glaring a hole through her, "I don't think any of that is happening."

"Should I call Kyoya's parents?" Rhiannon's mom voice continued, "Make sure you'll be ok?"

"I'll be fine," I rolled my eyes, already done with her, "Kyoya's parents won't even be home."

"What?!" she squealed. Dammit. Should know when to keep your mouth shut, Lana. You should know better. You know you should know better, "You and Kyoya are going to have the entire house to yourselves?"

"With the exception of the house staff," Kyoya stepped in, keeping me calm, "But they're mostly seen and not heard."

"So, you won't be going to an empty house from here?" Rhiannon settled down a bit.

"No."

"Ok," she let out a heavy sigh of relief, "Good. You're a good girl, Lana. I want you to stay a good girl. I remember what it's like to be sixteen."

"Yeah," I scoffed, "You were taking care of a one year old baby and people thought she was yours. Not to mention, there are a few key differences between you and me, Rhi. I'll be fine."

"I'm just saying," she shrugged, "You need anything, you got my number."

"I'll call," I promised.

And just like that, Kyoya and I left Rhiannon to stick her finger in her bellybutton and sit around my apartment while we went back to his place. Which was a lot bigger than I was expecting. This place was massive! I really shouldn't have expected much less, though. Tamaki's house was giant, too. I had a feeling that I was going to get lost a time or two through the course of this weekend.

All of a sudden, my social status became very apparent. Instead of dwelling on the fact that I probably don't deserve Kyoya, I took a minute to appreciate the fact that I had him. The fact that he chose me of his own free will, no matter what the bitches in the hallway said. He didn't pick me to piss off his dad. He picked me because for whatever reason, he loved me.

"Come here," Kyoya took my hand, "Try not to get lost, Lana. I know it's a labyrinth, but please. Don't get lost."

"I'll try," I blushed, following him up the stairs and through the windy halls of this place. And so began our evening together. Nothing but a night of being shut up in Kyoya's media room, curled up in his lap, and a Studio Ghibli binge. There was nothing better than that.

 **A/N: So, we've finally gotten to Kyoya's house. And they're snuggly wuggly in the media room. Because nothing says romantic quite like being curled up together while the beautiful song stylings of Joe Hisaishi play softly in the background…Also, can we take a minute to appreciate Renge? I'm so proud of her! She could've gone full tsundere, but instead, she kept a level head. I'm proud of my irritating child. She's come so far! Good for you, Renge. Four for you, Renge. You go, Renge…**

 **What? Why are you looking at me like that? Oh…I see. I know why you're looking at me like that. Because it's the second week of November and I'm not working on my NaNoWriMo project. Well, let me piss you off a little more, yeah? At the time I'm writing this, I haven't even touched my project today. I don't even know if I'm going to. Because the other day, I fixed my PS2 and I really feel like going on a game binge today. Something to ease my anxiety. Not only would I not be working on my project, but I wouldn't even be doing post-its for a possible Kuroshitsuji chapter next week. HA! Take THAT!**

 **Now that you're all good and riled up, let me hit you with reality. I had a record-breaking day yesterday (11/7) and got a little over ten thousand words in for my NaNoWriMo project. Also, because writing fan fiction is a drug, I actually started on a Free! Iwatobi Swim Club one-shot(?) within my project that I may or may not post on here. I haven't decided yet. And once I post my NaNoWriMo project online, you guys may want to seriously give consideration to reading at least the first chapter. It's practically the dedication page. More or less, it's a love letter. Now, progress? You want to know how I'm doing? Well, right now, it's day eight. I have a little over 31K. My current word count is 31,037. I've really been booking it this year…*realizes the terrible pun she just made, crawls into a hole* I don't know what I've been doing differently other than the fact that my MC and I are on pretty good terms. Although, I feel really bad for what I did to one of my MCs…Anyway, that's here nor there. I miss you guys. Really and truly. I miss the hell out of you. But the sooner I get my novel done, the sooner I can come home, right? See you next chapter. xx**


	29. A Taste of Ink

**A/N: Hi, guys! I know it hasn't been very long since we last spoke. Almost a month, but you'll keep that surprise update a secret between us still, right? That was a secret update. Hence why I had to be sneaky…sneaky, Charlie…sneaky…Jesus, I'm internet old. ANYWAY, hi! I missed you! I'm sure you guys probably missed me, too. How nuts is it to think I'm a part of 100+ people's regularly scheduled week? And that's just in follows. That's not even counting the babies that come in that don't have an account that are just here to have a good time. Every time I update, I usually end up with a few hundred views, so I can't complain.**

 **Now! I have a sliiiight confession to make. I was going to throw in another surprise update last Tuesday as sort of a crack chapter, but I ended up throwing myself into the NaNo project hardcore. It was going to be a sort of birthday present to you guys from me. Not that it would've been an anniversary for this or anything, but more like my birthday and you guys get presents kind of thing. But anyway, I'll give you guys NaNo stats at the end, ok? I'm going to shut up and let you enjoy this week's chapter if that's alright with you. We good? Got your juice box? A snack? Let's go!**

Ow…What the hell…? Where was I? I followed the arm around my waist. Kyoya. Ok. That was comforting. And it all started coming back to me. We were in Kyoya's house. I knew that much. but I had no clue where we were. And his house was a huge maze. I had no clue where we were or how or when we got here.

"Kyoya," I shook him, "Kyoya, I need some gaps filled in. I'm king of starting to freak out a little."

"It's alright, Lana," Kyoya's embrace tightened around me, "We're at my house. We're in the media room. We must have fallen asleep in here last night. Everything's ok. You're fine."

"Ok," I settled, curling into his ribs, "Good morning."

"Good morning," he kissed the top of my head, "Are we going to get up now or should we go back to sleep?"

"I could stand to get up," I felt every joint in my bod simultaneously crack, "Kyoya?"

"Yes, Lana?"

"If we ever fall asleep in here again," I stood up, my legs wanting to give out from under me, "One of us needs to wake the other one and we need to find a bed."

"I couldn't agree more," Kyoya followed me, "We really should have more comfortable seats."

"Why don't you?" I pouted.

"I don't control the house," he took my head, "If you'd like, however, I can call something in."

"Don't worry about it," I brushed him off, "No need to do that on my account."

"In that case," Kyoya wrapped his arms around me, "What shall we do today, my love?"

"I don't know," I laid my head on his chest, "Surprise me."

"Well," he thought it over, "I'm sure your sister's worried, considering she thinks you and I were probably intimate last night, so we should probably go find Rhiannon first."

"She wouldn't be at my place," I figured, "She's probably left for work by now."

"Alright then," a little smirk graced my boyfriend's face, "I know exactly where she is. Why don't you go get ready to leave and I'll go set everything up, ok?"

"Ok," I felt an odd warmth in the pit of my soul, but then, it was quickly squelched, "But…"

"Your overnight bag is in the bathroom and the bathroom is down the hall on the right."

"I love you," I kissed his cheek.

"And I you," Kyoya kissed me a little more properly, "Now, go or I'm going to join you."

I hate when that's a legitimate threat. Kyoya knew how I was. And he knew that there was no way in hell I'd ever let that happen this early in our relationship. I'd have to warm up to that idea first. I mean, I could manage him in the hot spring, but we also weren't completely naked. I just hope to God working his shower wasn't as complicated as I'd imagine.

Nope. Complicated. There were no faucets. There were no knobs on anything. One lone touch pad controlled the entire room. And if I wanted espresso while I was taking a shower, I could have that, too! But I wasn't really one for coffee. Of course, there was a tea setting. There had to be. I played around with it for a minute and got everything to work. No burning myself. No making everything malfunction. I managed. Good for me! And my god…I wanted to live in here. This was definitely better than my shower. Not surprised, though.

"Good morning, Miss Smith," a woman's voice broke the silence.

"Um…" my heart stopped, "Good morning?"

"Master Kyoya said you'd be a little leery," she chimed, "My name is Rose. I'm going to help you get ready this morning."

"Oh," I blushed, hiding behind the frosted glass, "Um…Thank you, Rose, but I got it."

"Please, Miss Smith," she begged, "I insist. He also said you'd be a fighter."

"Did he now?" I was going to kill him later, "Then, I guess I'll have to prove him wrong, won't I?"

"That's the spirit!" Rose sang, "Would you like a towel?"

"Yes, please."

I couldn't believe him. Kyoya actually sent a maid for me. I didn't want him seeing me in little to no clothing. I couldn't take my cardigan off in front of the host club. I barely liked taking it off in front of my sister. But he sends one of his maids that I had never met before a day in my life. I'd definitely be raising hell later.

However, I didn't have the energy to tell Rose off. I couldn't. So, I stood stark naked in the middle of Kyoya's bathroom and let Rose do what she had come here to do in the first place. No matter how badly I didn't want her to and I could've easily done myself. She didn't catch any glimpses of my scars, so I had that going for me. Once I had some clothes on, I dug in my overnight bag for my pill sorter and dumped Saturday in the palm of my hand. With one hard swallow, I waited for my mental stability to even out while Rose went about her duties. After all was said and done, I looked like a little china doll. I looked like I was worthy of someone of Kyoya's caliber. Speaking of…Where did he go?

"Lana!" he called from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yes?" I sat at the top.

"Are you ready yet?" Kyoya asked, "The car's already out front."

"I'm ready," I nodded, pushing my arm through the sleeve of my cardigan.

"Good," he took my hand, "I see you met Rose this morning."

"About that," I glared a hole through him, "She said you sent her."

"I did."

"Why?"

"Habit," he shrugged, getting my door for me, "You could've sent her away, you know."

"I tried," I got in, "She wasn't leaving."

"She is a tenacious one," Kyoya got in on his side, "Then again, she's also the least annoying. Out of all of the maids, Rose is my favorite. She and I have a good relationship. Do you remember the story I told you in the library?"

"Our first date," I took his hand off the shifter, "How can I forget?"

"She was the one to find me," he confessed, "In a way, I owe my life to that woman. If I would've been left alone, I would've bled out and I wouldn't be here. And I wouldn't have you. Now, onto less depressing topics of conversation, do you have any idea where we're going right now?"

"No clue," I shook off the disturbing mental image in my head, "Where are we going?"

"Yoshi's shop," Kyoya pulled out of the four mile long driveway, "That's more than likely where your sister is."

"You know," I thought it over, "I could've just called her."

"I'm sure she'd rather see your face," he assumed, "Besides, it's been a while since I dropped in on Yoshi. I'm sure he'd love to see me, too."

And just like that, Kyoya and I went into the heart of Shinjuku. I had done a little reading about Shinjuku. Rumor had it this place held Tokyo's Red Light District. Leave it to Rhiannon to find this place, but I was a little stunned Kyoya would be around here. It wasn't all Red Light, though. Shinjuku seemed kind of nice. Like Shibuya, but not as loud. I liked it. I could hang out here.

The two of us parked outside a little shop where the buzz of a tattoo gun sang symphonies amongst the screams of those who couldn't handle the pain. When I was in the hospital, I had given a lot of thought to what a tattoo felt like. What kind of pain that was. In a way, it kind of intrigued me. And there was a method used by samurais back in the day that was supposed to hurt like hell. Tebori, I think Rhiannon called it.

"Kyoya," an older man greeted us at the door, "Long time, no see."

"Forgive me, Yoshi," Kyoya bowed to him, "It's been rather hectic."

"Lana!" Rhiannon sang from the back, fresh off a smoke break, I'm assuming, "Hi, sweetie!"

"Hi, Rhi," I surrendered to her bone crushing hug.

"Need a ride to the clinic already?" she teased, "Kyoya, what'd you give her?"

"Nothing," he assured, "That never happened."

"Lana, you tease."

"Shame, Rhiannon," I growled, "Just a little."

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "What can I say, though? I worry about you."

"Told you," Kyoya jabbed.

"Is this your little sister you told me about, Rhiannon?" Yoshi asked.

"Yeah," Rhiannon nodded, "Yoshi, this is Lana. Lana, this is Yoshi."

"So, this is _that_ Lana," Yoshi looked over to Kyoya, "I'm sensing a conflict of interests here, Kyoya."

"I may have left out a few things about Rhiannon," Kyoya admitted, "Mostly her little sister living in the area."

"Regardless," Yoshi brushed him off, kissing the back of my hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lana."

"You, too," I blushed instantly.

"So," he sat back down, "What brings you by today?"

"Is today the day?" Rhiannon's face lit up, "Are you finally letting me do the thing?"

"What thing?" Kyoya gave me a look.

"Not yet," I settled her, "Besides, I told you I'd have to make a phone call to my therapist first."

"Call her!" Rhiannon begged, "Please? For me?"

"I don't even know what I want yet, Rhi," I explained, "So, unless you have a design already drawn up for me or you and Kyoya have devised something, I'm not getting a tattoo."

"I've been trying, Yoshi," she told, "I've been trying so hard to get a needle on this girl."

"I know your pain," Yoshi agreed, "One day, though. They will come to you. Now, are you ready?"

"Yes, sir!" Rhiannon beamed, peeling her shirt off.

"Rhiannon!" I snapped, covering my eyes with one hand and Kyoya's eyes with the other, "This is not that kind of establishment."

"I'm getting my ribs worked on," she filled me in, "And you know I have no shame."

"Hold on," I grabbed my phone out of my bag, "I'll be right back."

"Is everything alright?" Kyoya worried, taking my hand as I pushed the door open.

"I'm fine," I promised, "I'll be right back."

"Ok," he let me go and I slipped outside to scroll through my contacts. Maybe Rhiannon was onto something. And I knew she'd still be in the office. I'm sure of it. She was a workaholic and it was around midnight there. Besides, it was me. I was her favorite.

"Hello. Dr. Amanda Moreno's office," a soft, sweet English accent chimed on the other end.

"Hi, Dr. Moreno," I greeted, "It's Lana Smith."

"Lana!" she sang, "Hello, dear! It's been a while. You haven't called in months. I was starting to get worried. How are you?"

"I'm…" I smiled, "I'm happy. I've had a few close calls, but nothing ever happened."

"That's wonderful to hear," she praised, "How has Tokyo been for you?"

"Amazing," I gushed, "I couldn't have asked for a better city. I've met someone."

"Tell me about them," Dr. Moreno instructed, "I want to hear everything."

"He's understanding," I awed, "He treats me well. He gets what I've been through better than anyone I've ever met in my life."

"And why do you think that is?"

"He's been through it, too," I bit my lip, "But Kyoya…He's kind of become my everything. He's so good to me, Dr. Moreno…I've never had something like this before."

"So, he's been through the system," she assumed.

"Yes."

"For the same reasons as you?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Lana?" Dr. Moreno asked, "To be around that kind of an influence?"

"With Kyoya, it was a one time thing," I explained, "He's good now, though. I'm pretty sure. He wouldn't want to crumble now."

"And why is that?"

"Because," I blushed, "He doesn't want me to see that. He never wants me to see my rock fall apart."

"Sounds like a keeper," she approved, "Other than your newly blossoming love life, is there anything else going on with you?"

"I actually called to run something by you," I kept my fingers crossed.

"Oh?" I had her interested, "What's that?"

"My sister wants to give me a tattoo," I explained, "But I'd want to get it on my wrist to cover up my scars. Would that be alright?"

"How long has it been since your close calls?" she wondered.

"A few months ago. But my parents surprised me out of the blue and it brought up some old feelings that I thought I got over."

"I'd hold off for a couple months," Dr. Moreno recommended, "If you can go that long without the littlest papercut, talk to me then and I'll give you my blessing."

"Thank you," I beamed, "I have to go. I'm supposed to be getting lunch with my boyfriend. I shouldn't keep him waiting."

"Alright, Lana," she let me go, "But please. For the sake of my sanity and yours alike, call me a little more often."

"I will."

"Bye."

Click.

I slipped back inside to find my sister laying topless on one of Yoshi's tables and Kyoya watching so intently. As covertly as I could, I nuzzled my face in between his shoulder blades, "Hi."

"Hi," he took my hands from me.

"So?" Rhiannon chirped with anticipation, "Who were you calling?"

"Dr. Moreno," I confessed, "I asked her about getting a tattoo to cover up my scars."

"What'd she say?"

"I have to wait a couple months," I reported, "But if I go that long without an incident, she says I have her blessing."

"Awesome!" Rhiannon squealed, "If I wasn't having mine worked on right now, I'd start working on yours. But at least I got a few months to get a design together, right?"

"Way to be optimistic, Rhiannon," I praised, "I'm proud of you."

"Well," Kyoya pulled me into his lap, "We should probably be going. Shibuya? Is that alright with you?"

"I could do Shibuya," I nodded, "That's fine with me."

"Does that mean you're leaving?" Yoshi whined, "Don't go, Kyoya. You never come around anymore."

"And I promise you, Yoshi," he swore, "I'll come around more often. Especially since Rhiannon's here."

"Swoon," she sighed out.

"Ok," Yoshi pouted, "You better. I know where you live, Kyoya Ootori. I will hunt you down."

"And I'm looking forward to it," Kyoya got up and took my hand, "Shall we?"

"Let's," I rested my head on his shoulder, "Bye, Rhi. Love you."

"Love you, too, sweetie," she waved the two of us off and Kyoya and I left Shinjuku behind. I wasn't sure what I was going to let her permanently embed into my skin. I'm sure if I left it up to her with Kyoya's guidance, they'd probably be able to come up with something.

The rest of the day was, as always, an absolute dream. Quite literally. It had felt like I had been walking through my sweetest daydream. It was nothing but shops and parks and our usual aquarium stop. If I didn't get to see my jellyfish babies, Kyoya knew he'd be hearing about it later and I'd be bitching his ear off. And they were out in full force today. Absolutely beautiful creatures.

When we got back to Kyoya's, the sun was settling into the trees for the night and the two of us decided to settle into the hot tub out back. This day couldn't have been more perfect. I didn't get too terribly anxious. Depression didn't hit me like a Mack truck. I even had a civil conversation with my therapist in London. Life was good.

"Hey," I hushed him, "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Kyoya cradled me against his chest.

"It sounded like a car door," I guessed.

"Relax, Lana," he ran his fingers up the back of my arm, "You're being paranoid. It's just you and me, remember?"

"Master Kyoya," Rose came outside.

"Yes, Rose," Kyoya cranked his neck back, "What is it?"

"There are a group of boys here for you."

Kyoya let out a heavy sigh, "What for?"

"I'm not sure," she thought it over, "There was a little one with a big one, a pair of twins, a boy with a face pretty enough to pass for a girl, and-"

"Hold on," he grabbed a towel for me, "Keep them at the door."

"Yes, sir," Rose bowed out and scurried off.

"I'll run interference," Kyoya wrapped me in a towel, "I'm sorry, Lana. I wasn't expecting them to be here."

"It's fine," I settled him, "I'll be quick. I promise."

"You'll stay as hidden as you can," he corrected me, "I want you to go into my bedroom and wait for me there. They don't need to know you're here."

"Ok," I wasn't going to fight him. Besides, the host club didn't need to see me in a bikini. I tightened my towel and followed Kyoya to the entrance.

"What are you doing here?" he blocked as much of the door as he could.

"Come on, Kyoya," Tamaki sang, "We can't drop by just to say hi?"

"You never do," Kyoya pointed out, "So, what are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry about this, Kyoya-senpai," Haruhi apologized, "I tried to talk him out of it, but you know how he is."

"Lana!" the twins squealed.

Crap…I've been spotted.

"What are you talking about?" Kyoya stopped them, "Lana's at home."

"No, she's not!" Hikaru and Kaoru pushed past him and sandwich hugged me.

"Hi, guys," I did my best to keep a level head.

"No sense in trying to hide it now," Kyoya caved, "Now, what do you want, Tamaki?"

"Well," Tamaki sat on the stairs, "We thought that since your parents were gone for the weekend…"

"SLUMBER PARTY!"

 **A/N: One. I'm sorry this is up so late. It's been kind of hard for me to get back in the swing of things. I mean, I was gone for a month of solid writing on a different story. I'm not going to be able to go back to posting three times a week like it's nothing. Believe it or not. Ok. So, speaking of NaNoWriMo, I did wonderfully this year. I hit the 50K mark in a week and a half. I tripled (and a half) the word count goal by the end of the month with 174K. I crushed. I'm very proud. I will be posting it on Tumblr. I was supposed to do it yesterday, but I ended up not posting. I'll try to sometime this week.**

 **Getting back to the story, though! We have a host club slumber party! That I, for one, am very excited for. GOD, I can't wait to see what those crazy kids are up to. Now, I haven't eaten much today and I have one bitch of a headache, so I'm going to go. See you next chapter. xx**


	30. What Happened? Honey's Where!

**A/N: Hi, guys. This is up a little late today. I know. I'm sorry. I had my nephew's Christmas program and a little shopping to do. It's been crazy hectic for the past couple days. And just as a precautionary measure, it's probably going to be the same thing for tomorrow. I can guarantee it. Christmas shopping, although makes for great people watching that in turn makes for better characters, is equal parts fun and exhausting. So, if I seem a little off for the next couple weeks, you know why. But know this. I'm trying my damnedest to get these out to you guys. I really am. Better late than never, right? Besides, it's time for the host club slumber party…What do these weirdos do after the sun goes down and they forget they're aristocracy for a while…? Let's find out, shall we?**

Ouch…I need to learn to go to bed in Kyoya's house and not wake up in pain. What happened last night? And where was I? Relax, Lana. Find your bearings. I did a quick look around the room. Kyoya was laying next to me. Good. Good. Good sign. This must be Kyoya's room. Too nice to be one of the guest rooms. Why do I hurt, though? I hurt everywhere. And…And I wasn't feeling too well.

I got out of bed and ran for Kyoya's bathroom to spill the contents of my stomach. Wait a minute. Why was my shirt on the floor…and not on my body? What the hell happened last night? Screw this. I crawled back into bed with Kyoya in my bra and a smile, pulling his arm around me. As long as I had him, I was ok. As long as we were together, I was safe. He wouldn't let anything happen to me. out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a beautiful, brilliantly colored jellyfish on my arm. A cannonball jelly, to be exact. Kyoya. Had to be. Who else would draw on me?

A part of me wanted to stay in bed with my sleepy boyfriend, but the other part of me was stronger and got me to go downstairs to put the pieces together. Mother of God…This place was a warzone. What did we do last night…? Wait, what the hell…? A pair of sparkly, lacy red panties hung from the chandelier. I knew those panties. And those panties could only belong to one person I knew and loved. Rhiannon…

From top to bottom, I scoured the entire house in search of my sister. Didn't have to go too far. I found Rhiannon was balled up in the corner of the media room, sleeping like a baby. We couldn't have that now, could we? I was in the middle of a minor panic attack and a serious memory lapse. Kyoya didn't need to deal with me right now and I knew Rhiannon could take care of me.

"Rhi," I gave her a nudge. Nothing, "Rhiannon…Rhiannon, get your ass up."

"What?" she whined. Rhiannon was never a morning person.

"I'm freaking here," I sat next to her, "What the hell happened last night?"

"You don't remember?" Rhiannon sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, "Last night was fun…"

"I'm drawing a total blank."

"Alright," she settled me, "What's the last thing you remember?"

I began my flashback. Kyoya and I had just come back from the aquarium and he managed to get me into a bikini for some ungodly reason. Because I didn't have anything with me and I couldn't get into the hot tub with all my clothes on. Ok. Things were starting to come back to me. Kind of hard to forget a sandwich hug from the Hitachiin twins. And the eight of us sat back outside once I had more clothes on.

"So, what's Lana doing here anyway?" Hikaru asked.

"I thought your parents were out of town, Kyoya-senpai," Kaoru added.

"I can't spend a weekend alone with my girlfriend?" Kyoya cradled me in his lap.

"Of course, you can," Tamaki allowed, holding his girlfriend in the same position, "Who are we to break up young love?"

"Settle down, senpai," Haruhi stopped him.

"Well," Kaoru smirked, sending his brother some mental telepathy.

"Since it is a slumber party." Message received.

"Let's play truth or dare!"

"I don't remember saying you could stay here," Kyoya thought out loud.

"Ok," I allowed it, "Who's going first?"

"Since it was our idea," Hikaru decided.

"We will!" Kaoru went along with it, "How are we doing this?"

"Rock, paper, scissors?" Hikaru assumed.

"Fine by me."

"One."

"Two."

"Three!"

Hikaru threw rock. Kaoru threw scissors. Round one goes to Hikaru while his brother pouted in the corner, "Every time!"

"You always pick scissors," Hikaru chuckled, "Learn to pick paper once in a while and you'll beat me."

"Just pick someone," Kaoru shoved him.

"Fine," Hikaru looked around for a victim, "Mori-senpai! Truth or dare?"

"Truth," Mori picked.

"Alright," Hikaru thought it over for a minute or two, "Are you still in love with Lana?"

I spat my drink halfway across the yard, "Jesus, Hikaru! You had to come out of the gate with that?"

"No," Mori answered flatly.

"My turn!" Kaoru took over. Was everyone just ignoring me? I nearly choked on my lemonade, "Lana! Truth or dare?"

I was way too damn scared to answer truth. Some things weren't meant to come to the surface. I was just glad I got to my cardigan before I came back outside. Granted, I had grown a lot more comfortable around my boys, but some things were my secrets to keep, so I went the safe route, "Dare."

"I dare you…" I watched the gears in Kaoru's head turn. I knew he wouldn't make me do anything too outlandish. He knew better, "To invite Rhiannon over!"

"No way," I shut him down, "Rhiannon's probably got better things to do on a Saturday night."

"Does she have friends in the area or something?"

"No," I sighed out, "But it doesn't take much for her to make friends."

"Come on, Lana," he begged, "Please?"

"Please, Lana-chan," Honey joined in, "We haven't seen Rhi-chan since the party."

"Ugh…" I groaned, "Fine."

"Yay!"

I couldn't say no to Honey. His brand of cuteness got to me every time. I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and scrolled for my sister's number. Not that I didn't have it memorized. Just too lazy to actually dial it. Ring…Ring…

"Hey, Lana," she chimed on the other end, "What's up?"

"Hey," I laid my head on Kyoya's chest, "Come over."

"Ok," Rhiannon worried, "You alright, sweetie?"

"Fine," I assured, "It's just that there's a slumber party at Kyoya's house."

"I know," she said, "You told me this."

"Yeah," I cringed, "But now, everyone's here. It's me, Haruhi, and six boys. We need to even out the ratio."

"On my way!"

Click.

"There," I threw my phone under the chaise, "Happy?"

"Very!" Kaoru beamed, "I love your sister. She's like us."

"And that's what worries me," I pouted.

"Has Rhiannon always been like that?" Haruhi asked.

"Unfortunately," I smiled a bit, "But I wouldn't trade her for the world. No matter how much of a pain in the ass she can be. My sister is absolutely ridiculous and too much for me to handle nine times out of ten, but I love her to death. Before Kyoya came into the picture, Rhiannon was my rock. Still is. There's nothing changing that."

"Master Kyoya," Rose came out.

"Yes, Rose?" Kyoya acknowledged her, "What is it?"

"There's a woman at the door…"

"Rhiannon," Kyoya assumed, "She can come in."

"She's not…" Rose blushed, "She's not an escort, is she?"

"No," I rolled my eyes, "She's my sister."

"Forgive me," she bowed, "I'll bring her in."

"Thank you, Rose," Kyoya dismissed her.

"Honey!" Rhiannon showed herself back, "I'm home! Damn, Kyoya. You got this place to yourself for the weekend?"

"Originally, that was the plan," Kyoya shared my disdain for our uninvited company.

"Hi, baby," my sister kissed my cheek, "Gentlemen, Haruhi."

"Hi, Rhi-chan!" Honey climbed into her lap.

"You know," Rhiannon squeezed the cutie in her lap, "I was always raised that it was rude to go to someone's house empty handed. I hope you don't mind, Kyoya."

"The rest of them were uninvited," he filled her in, "You're already a leg ahead."

"I'm parched," she set Honey down, "I got Capri-sun. Anybody? While I'm up?"

"Pouch or bottle?" Tamaki asked.

"Bottle."

"I could do some," he nodded.

"Me, too," Haruhi chimed in.

"Us, too," the twins added.

"And us, too, Rhi-chan," Honey asked.

"Lana? Kyoya?" Rhiannon offered, "You want some?"

"Sure," I shrugged, "What the hell?"

"Ok," Kyoya agreed.

"Awesome," a devious smirk stretched across my sister's face. Rhiannon was up to something. I just didn't know what.

Regardless, we all sat around Kyoya's backyard, enjoying each other's company, sucking down Capri-sun like it was going out of style. I don't know what kind it was, but damn, it was good! I remember Rhiannon bringing me the wild cherry pouches all the time when she'd come home from work before she moved to New York. And it didn't take much for me to go through those in a weekend. I guess that was one thing I never grew out of. Six drinks later, I started feeling dizzy and noticed a change in everyone.

Kyoya was a little brighter than normal, completely accepting my shower of cuddles. Tamaki laughed hysterically about a blade of grass for a good, solid ten minutes, not even paying attention to Haruhi's blatant advances. Honey got punchy, but not the kind of punchy one would think. He was ready to pick a fight with everybody and anybody. The twins were completely zoned out, ready to fall asleep on each other. Although, at one point in our ongoing game of truth or dare, Rhiannon dared them to make out with each other. Surprise, surprise, they obliged. But the biggest surprise of the night? Mori.

I had never seen Mori so talkative. Usually, he was always next to silent. But tonight? Mori wouldn't shut up. I've never heard him have so many opinions on just about everything. How two grilled cheese sandwiches would hit the spot. How double sided tape is just glue for people too impatient for glue to dry. How all he wants to do is learn how to ballroom dance. Mori probably hadn't talked that much his entire life. That's when I knew something happened. Something was done. Because Rhiannon sat so calm.

"Rhiannon," I struggled to keep my balance, "What did you do?"

"What do you mean?" she wondered, perfectly fine.

"Why are we all having such a good time?" I asked.

"Look, guys!" Hikaru pointed out, "Honey-senpai is out like a light."

"I have an idea!" Kaoru grinned, "Kyoya-senpai, do you have any duct tape?"

"In a drawer in the kitchen," Kyoya directed him, "Why?"

"Let's tape him to the ceiling!" Hikaru squealed, "Mori-senpai, would you hold him up?"

"Hell yeah!" Mori chimed, "Let's do it!"

"Yeah!" Mori and the twins ran off to find the duct tape with Honey over Mori's shoulder. Yeah. Honey was out cold.

"Rhiannon…" I glared a hole through her, "What did you do?"

"What?" she squeaked innocently, "I didn't do anything!"

"Rhiannon…"

"Ok," she came clean, "I might have added a little something, something fun in the Capri-sun…"

"What…?"

Rhiannon braced herself for the lashing she knew damn well I was about to give her, "Vodka…"

"Dammit, Rhiannon!" I snapped, "These boys aren't meant to get drunk! Now, Honey's going to wake up tomorrow morning taped to the ceiling and I have to go on living with the knowledge of what happened with Mori at summer camp!"

"Relax, Lana," she settled me, "It's not like we're going anywhere. Everything's fine. If I couldn't control a bunch of drunk teenagers, I'd be so disappointed in myself. I'll make sure to get Honey down before he wakes up tomorrow."

"You're an idiot," I sighed out, snuggling back into Kyoya's arms. Oddly enough, Haruhi was doing the same thing…

"Hey, senpai," she got really close to Tamaki, taking his hand, "Why don't you come with me…?"

"But Haruhi," Tamaki stared at the hilarious piece of grass, "What if the grass leaves me?"

"Don't worry about the grass," Haruhi got really flirty really quick, dragging Tamaki away, "Let's go upstairs…"

"Ok," Tamaki caved, letting her take him away.

"I think I'm going to bed, too," Rhiannon yawned, "Nighty night, little sister. Future brother-in-law."

"Rhiannon!" I snarled.

"Jesus," she scoffed, "You were more fun when you didn't know you were drunk."

"Come on," Kyoya took my hand, "She's right. If we don't go to bed, we're going to end up falling asleep out here. And you don't want to do that."

"Ok," I climbed onto his back and nuzzled my face in his neck, clocking out on the way up.

"And that's all I remember," Rhiannon and I went into the kitchen, "Sorry if I can't be more help, Lana."

"That explains a lot," I rubbed my eyes, jumping up onto a barstool, "Did you get Honey down?"

"I did," she promised, "I went upstairs, cut him out of the tape, put him in bed, and passed out in the media room."

"At least you didn't do anything stupid," I let out a sigh of relief, "I thought you would've ended up sleeping with Mori. I really did."

"I can control myself, thank you very much," Rhiannon pouted, "You make me sound like I can't handle myself when I'm a little drunk."

"Make yourself useful," I demanded, "And at least make us breakfast. You got us drunk in the first place."

"On it."

"Morning," a voice groaned as she shuffled into the kitchen in a t-shirt and her underwear, feeling our pain.

"Morning, Haruhi," I looked her over, "Are you ok?"

"I think I might have done something stupid last night," she limped, sitting next to me at the island.

"What kind of stupid?" I worried.

"I know that look," Rhiannon winced, "I know that look all too well. Who'd you wake up with this morning, Haruhi?"

"Tamaki…" she laid her head on the counter top, "And I lost a pair of underwear."

"Um…" I blushed, not expecting that, "Rhiannon? Did you come up short a red thong this morning?"

"No," Rhiannon gave me a look, "Why?"

"Because I found one on the chandelier."

"Oh, god…" Haruhi whined in the granite, "Never again. Never again…"

"Good morning, everyone!" Tamaki bounced in with a big ass grin on his face, kissing the top of his girlfriend, "Good morning, Haruhi."

"Bite me, senpai," she growled.

"By the way," he wrapped his arms around her, "What were your underwear doing on the chandelier this morning?"

"I don't know."

"You know," Tamaki jumped onto the counter, "We should do this again!"

"Not for a while," I stopped him. It was going to take us a while to recover from this night.

 **A/N: I've been teasing the thought of a drunk host club for quite some time now. And I'm glad I ran with it. But in a shocking plot twist, those underpants on the chandelier, though! Who would've expected Haruhi to wear sexy underwear? Honestly, I think that after she and Tamaki got together, he'd take her shopping on a regular basis and he got her some sexy underwear. They were bound to be cuddly wuddly eventually. Also, can we take a minute to imagine sweet, little Honey getting scrappy to the point where the twins are taping him to the ceiling…? I was going to have Honey and Mori asleep on the roof, but I couldn't think of anything to lead up to that. Anyway, I'll see you guys next chapter! xx**


	31. Off the Grid

**A/N: Hi, guys. How are we doing today? Doing alright? Excited about today's chapter? I'm sure you are. I know I am…What do you mean, I'm uncharacteristically cheery? What do you mean, I'm hiding something? No, I'm not. Nervously sweating? No. I'm just…It's warm in here…Ok. I'll come clean. In a second.**

 **First of all, I kind of want to apologize for last chapter. Because this was a commonly brought up thing. It had been a very long day for me and I was running short on time. I know it was still a good chapter, but it could've been better. I wanted to throw in some scrappy Honey. I wanted to throw in the whole conversation with Mori and Lana about what happened at summer camp. But now, I think it's best that stays shrouded in mystery. I was going to have Kyoya's drunk tick be him getting really, really happy, but then getting really, really sad to the point where Lana had to take care of him again. But in the simplest terms, I just wanted to get an update out. I just ran out of time. Maybe one day, I'll do a rewrite of the chapter and do a switcheroo of that,**

 **And much like last week, I'm also running short on time. And I'm sorry that this is up so late. I'm still hanging around in the comments, so you can talk to me. I'm always there. I had a list longer than my arm of shit to do today dropped on me all at once. This is going to be kind of a heavy chapter. Like, the kind that has a trigger warning. Scar mentions and self-harm mentions. I might have warned you last week. I'm not sure, but I know I told some of you. Because last week's heavy chapter went to Dramatical Murder, this week was going to be heavy for you guys and for the Kuroshitsuji babies tomorrow, too. Just a bit. So, I'm going to do a little spiraling and you guys are going to read this new chapter, ok? I'll be lurking at the end. Don't worry.**

Not that staying with Kyoya this weekend wasn't a delight…along with the entire host club…and my slightly alcoholic sister…But I had to get out. And before Kyoya woke up. I didn't want him to have to see me do a walk of shame out of here. it's bad enough I had to help Haruhi get her panties off the chandelier. He didn't need to see me in nothing but my cardigan and an uncomfortable smile.

Once Monday came around, I couldn't make eye contact with Haruhi without picturing her fire engine red thong sparkling from Kyoya's chandelier. I couldn't look at Hikaru and Kaoru without seeing them spooning each other and sticking their tongues down each other's throats. Anytime I'd see Honey in the hallway, I could only imagine him taped to the ceiling and Mori…I wasn't looking him in the eye either. I knew about summer camp. I knew too much about summer camp. At least Tamaki was surprisingly the least problematic. He had just become simple minded a little more than he normally was.

But one question still burned in the back of my mind. Like an itch I couldn't scratch. Why did I wake up with no shirt on? Did I make the same drunk mistake Haruhi did? Did Kyoya and I have sex? Did I lose my virginity without even knowing it? I hadn't heard from him until I walked into biology. Even then, as much as I loved him, I kind of wanted to avoid him like the plague until I got my mind right.

"Hi, Lana," Kyoya took the empty seat behind me like any other day.

"Um…" I blushed, "I have to go."

"But we're in the same class…" he pointed out, looking me over, "Are you ok…?"

"Fine," I knew better. I didn't want to go into it then and there. Not with a few regulars of the host club there. It's bad enough they knew Kyoya and I were dating. They didn't need to know about our possible sex life, too. If it even existed. I managed to keep a tight lid on myself through class and tried to laser focus on the lesson. Cardiovascular system. Fascinating. Not really. Kind of dull as hell. I white knuckled it until the bell rang and made a beeline out the door.

And once the final bell chimed, I headed home. I didn't have the intestinal fortitude to go to the host club today. Hell, when I woke up the next morning, I decided I wasn't going to school altogether. I didn't have it in me. Fortunately, Ouran Academy was aware of the way I was and accommodated me accordingly. All I had to do was call. They weren't going to ask questions.

Hopefully, they weren't going to mind too much when I did it Wednesday, too. I don't know what was wrong with me, but every time I'd wake up to go to school, I'd get hit with such waves of stomach pain and shake like crazy. Like I was getting the flu, but amplified. And it'd go away within a few hours. My phone was blowing up like clockwork, too. Once in the morning from Rhiannon just to check in. Six times around lunch from the boys. A few times after school from Haruhi. And then, a few times at night between Kyoya and Rhiannon. Also, probably just to check in to make sure I was ok. I wasn't, but I didn't need them worrying about me.

I just needed to be by myself for a while. That was until Thursday night when an unsuspected knock echoed at my door. My desire to get up from my bed was nonexistent, but I powered through and looked through my peephole. Ok. She could come in, "Hey, Rhi."

"Hey," she came in.

"What do you want?" I curled up on my couch instead.

"Just checking in," Rhiannon sat next to me, "Are you feeling ok? I checked with the Ouran attendance office and they said you hadn't been in since Monday."

"I'm fine," I brushed her off, pulling the throw over me a little tighter, "A little scrambled, but I'm fine."

"No, you're not," she saw right through me, "I know better than that. It's just that none of us have heard from you in days."

"I'm fine, Rhiannon," I promised, "Like I said, just a little scrambled."

"You know the drill, sweetie," she demanded, "I know you don't like to, but it has to be done."

Anytime I went an extended period of time off the grid, Rhiannon would always worry about me. This was just to make sure I wasn't returning to some old, nasty habits. Slowly, but surely, I pushed my cardigan sleeves up and showed her my exposed forearms with the fading jellyfish on the left and the other side completely blank minus the scars that had yet to completely fade. She just wanted to make sure I was ok.

"Nothing," I promised, "No new ones anyway. I haven't wanted to open my arms up in months. I've thought about it a couple times when nights got really bad, but those were the nights when I'd end up calling Kyoya and he'd come over to take care of me."

"Do you need to talk?" she worried.

"I just need to get my head right," I rubbed my eyes, "I'll be fine, Rhiannon."

"Once you get you back," Rhiannon told, "You need to convince your boyfriend you're ok. Kyoya's been by the shop almost every day, looking for you. You haven't been to school. You haven't been in the host club. You've been holed up in your apartment for the past three days. Come on, Lana. Talk to me. What's got you so freaked out?"

"Um…" I felt the heat rising in my cheeks, "Saturday morning…"

"What about it?" she wondered, "I was there."

"I woke up with no shirt on," I confessed, "I have hardly any memory of what happened."

"That was my fault," Rhiannon apologized, "I didn't think that was going to happen. I didn't expect you to be such a lightweight. Or any of the others, in all seriousness. And I'm sorry. Especially to you."

"Rhiannon," I started shaking again, "I think I might have had sex with Kyoya..."

The room went dead silent. And Rhiannon stared through me, "Oh."

"You know how I am," I freaked a bit, "I don't like being that vulnerable. Don't get me wrong. Kyoya's broken a lot of walls with me and I love him to death for that. But I don't think I was ready for that quite yet. And I haven't been right since. Once it actually set in and my brain decided to kick into overdrive."

"You need to talk to him, Lana," she suggested, "Not just for the sake of your sanity, but for his, too. He thinks he did something and screwed up and put you in this position. You need to get a hold of your man."

"Is…" I dreaded her answer, "Is Kyoya ok?"

"He's a little bit of a wreck," Rhiannon reported, "But he's not too bad. I only see what's on the surface with that boy. I don't know him well enough to know his tells. You want me call him for you?"

"No," I shot her down, "I got it. Could you leave, though, Rhiannon? Kyoya and I need to talk it out alone."

"Sure." As I walked with her to the door, Rhiannon threw her arms around me, squeezing as tight as she could, never wanting to let go, "You scared the hell out of me, kid. Don't do that again."

"I'm sorry," I did all I could to keep myself from bawling in her shoulder. I really did feel like a bitch for keeping everyone and anyone at more than arm's length.

"I get it," she kissed my forehead, "Call me later, ok?"

"I will."

"I love you, Lana," Rhiannon gave me one last bit of reassurance, "Let me know how it goes with you and Kyoya."

"Love you, too, Rhi," I closed the door behind her and grabbed my phone off the kitchen counter. Jesus. I didn't realize how off the grid I went. Forty-two missed calls in the past day and a half. All of them either from Rhiannon or the rest of the host club. But for now, only one of those missed calls mattered.

As I scrolled through my contacts for the letter O, I damn near dropped my phone…Twice. Come on, Lana. Pull yourself together. You can do this. It's just Kyoya. You know him. You love him. And he loves you, too. It's going to be ok. Besides, he understands. He gets you like no one else does. You've been saying that since day one.

Ring…

Ring…

"Lana?" Kyoya's voice shook me to the core. A little raspier than usual, "Tell me it's you…Please…I need to hear your voice."

And in that moment, my heart shattered to pieces. In my fit of self-loathing and spiraling downward, I thought everyone was just putting up with me. I had been secretly thinking that in the back of my mind since I walked through the host club. That I was just their burden. I guess I did matter…And I said the only thing I could think to. Three little words escaped my mouth, "I miss you…"

"Do you think…" Kyoya hesitated, "Maybe I could come over? See you?"

"Please," I begged.

"Ok…" he agreed while a knock pounded at my door, "I'm already outside."

I hung up my phone, threw it back on the counter, and grabbed the door. Sure enough…There he was, looking like he hadn't slept in days. And it was probably all my fault, "Hi…"

Not one single word was said between us after that. All he could do was hold me. I wasn't sure which one of us was shaking worse, him or me. I tried to pull away from him, but that wasn't going to happen. Understandable. Kyoya did kind of like me. He's told me this on several occasions. The two of us curled up on my couch and I managed to keep myself from crying, "I know you needed your space, Lana, but I really needed to do that."

"I know," I curled into his chest, not wanting to be anywhere else anymore.

"I missed you so much," Kyoya could barely speak above a whisper, "Are you ok?"

"I'm a lot better than I was," I assured, "But…Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," he cradled me, "What is it?"

"The other night when I stayed with you," I swallowed hard, "We didn't have…Did we have sex Friday night?"

In that moment, all of time stood still. Like the words couldn't come out of his mouth fast enough. The thought of Kyoya's answer scared the hell out of me, but at least I knew he was here for me. No matter what he was going to say. I had him here to get me to even out. It was kind of nice knowing I had someone else to share the burden of my mind with.

"No," Kyoya shook his head.

Leaving me in complete confusion, "No? But I woke up in my bra Saturday morning…"

"That's because you got lazy halfway through putting your pajamas on," he filled me in, "You complained that it was too much work. I offered to help, but you said you didn't want to put me through the trouble. I wasn't going to say no, so you crawled into bed, we went to sleep, and that was it."

"Oh." Surprise, surprise. All that worry for nothing. But it was good to know that my catlike nature saved my innocence.

"So," Kyoya winced, "It wasn't me?"

"No," I promised, "We're fine. We're good. When I say it's not you, it's me, it's really not you, it's me."

"Lana," he took my hands, "I never would ever take advantage of you like that. I knew you were drunk. I knew I was drunk. Neither one of us were in the position to make a rational decision. I wanted to. Believe me. I wanted to. But like I said. I wasn't going to take advantage of you. I promise you that much."

"Thank you," I managed to get a little kiss out of him, "Hey, Kyoya…?"

"Yes?"

"Will you stay with me tonight?" I asked, "It has been a while since I've seen you. And I did miss you and me being us."

"Absolutely," Kyoya carried me to my bed and pulled the blankets over us, "I love you, Lana."

"I love you, too…"

And I ended up with the most solid sleep I've gotten in, what feels like ages. I swear, it was Kyoya. It had to be. I always slept easier with him in bed with me. Like my own teddy bear, but this one walked, talked, and could love me back. Life was ok again. Everything was ok again. Good enough for me to go back to school again. I'm sure the welcome wagon of my favorite idiots would be more than happy to announce my arrival.

When I got up the next morning, fully clothed with Kyoya's arms around me, I didn't want to get out of bed. And for the first time since Saturday, it was for all the right reasons. I didn't want to move my boyfriend off me. I didn't want anything coming between us. But unfortunately, we had to go to school. As much as skipping one more day would be phenomenal, we could manage. Then, if today sucked, we always had Karuizawa open for us for the weekend.

But alas, I got out of bed and grabbed the overflowing pile of mail from my mailbox just outside my door. My god, Lana…I know you've been going through hell for the past few days, but get your mail once in a while. I thumbed through the stack of envelopes and most of it was junk mail. Flyers, trader papers, nothing too exciting. Until I saw an envelope from the Ouran Academy admissions office. Strange. I tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter inside.

 _Dear Miss Smith,_

 _As the end of the year approaches, this is a notice that your scholarship will be ending at the end of the semester. If you wish to continue your studies at Ouran Academy, please come to the admissions office to discuss your tuition payment for next year._

 _Best Regards,_

 _Ouran Admissions_

Well…I knew this was coming. There was no way in hell I was going to be able to afford Ouran tuition! The kids that came here without scholarships come from filthy rich families. I don't. There's no way I'd be able to get another year at Ouran. That just wasn't happening. My parents weren't going to shell out that kind of money and I didn't have that laying around. I could ask Kyoya, but I didn't want to be that kind of a girlfriend. I hated asking for money. I hated having his credit card in my wallet. I guess once the year is over…Bye, bye, Ouran Academy. It was nice while it lasted. I better make the most out of the next month…

 **A/N: We knew this day was going to come. We all knew it. And just so you guys have some fair warning, next week's chapter is going to be the last one. I want to start off 2017 with a clean slate. However, unbunch your panties. Because I have a little surprise for you at the end of next week's update. Amongst all the mush that's going to go along with it. And it had been a while since we had a little angsty Lana. Not really angsty. Just kind of depressed. And worried. And scared. And a million other emotions she couldn't process. So, I'll see you next chapter! xx**


	32. Forever a Family

**A/N: Hi, guys…How are you? Doing ok? You need anything? A snack? Juice box? A hug? Shock blanket? Some leftover Chinese food? Damn, that actually sounds kind of good. I could really use some of that right now. Then again, in my defense, at the time I'm writing this particular A/N, it's a little after midnight and any food sounds like a good idea. But all that aside, this is it. Final chapter. Stick around for the end. Because I'm going to be giving you a little surprise. A little present, if you will. So, I'm going to shut up now. You're going to read, ok? Wipe the sad tears and enjoy.**

That letter from admissions…I couldn't get it out of my mind. Everything about it from the stationery, right down to the punctuation burned in the back of my brain. Like an itch I couldn't scratch. Once I tried scratching it, it'd move. All I wanted was for it to go away. Maybe just for a little while. Would tat be too much to ask for?

"Lana," Kyoya nudged me in my shoulder blade.

"What?" I came back to reality.

"Are you ok?" he worried, "You were kind of spacy for a minute."

"I'm fine," I shook it off, "Just spacy."

"You sure?"

"Positive." I debated whether or not to tell Kyoya about my letter. I could hear him now. He'd be the first to tell me he'll cover my tuition for next year. If not him, then the entire host club would rally together to keep me one more year. But I don't want any of them to worry about me. not that I want to leave Ouran Academy. I loved it here. This felt like home, but I could stand to go back to London. I was going to miss Japan, though.

Once the final bell rang, I headed straight for the music room. I kept my fingers crossed that my homecoming wouldn't get too much for fanfare. I almost wanted to slip in there completely undetected. As long as no one made a big deal about me being gone for so long, I'm sure I'd be perfectly fine.

"Hey, Lana," the twins chimed. Weird. No sandwich hug? No squealing? Kyoya. Had to be. He must have said something. Threatened their lives. Something along those lines.

"Hey, guys…" Everything was just the way I left it. Nothing changed.

"We missed you, Lana-chan," Honey wrapped himself around my leg.

"I missed you, too, Honey," I hugged him back, "It's good to be home."

"It's good to have you home, princess," Tamaki cuddled me from behind, "You know, things haven't been the same without you."

"I'm sorry," I dropped my gaze, "I didn't mean to make you worry about me."

"You needed your space, Lana," Kyoya took me back, "You don't need to apologize for that. It's alright. It's done and over with."

"Now!" Tamaki sang out, "The Ouran Fair!"

"Oh yeah," Haruhi cringed, "The Ouran Fair…There's something I want to remember."

"Am I missing something?" I had no idea what the hell was going on, "What's the big deal about the Ouran Fair?"

"At last year's fair," Hikaru began.

"Haruhi nearly lost Tamaki-senpai for good," Kaoru finished.

"We all almost lost Tama-chan," Honey corrected them, "The whole host club nearly disbanded."

"We agreed not to bring up Éclair," Tamaki got dark and defensive, "The Ouran Fair is a time of fun and excitement for the students of Ouran Academy. And we'll be having schools from all over coming into the host club, so I need you all to work twice as hard. We're going to be flooded."

"Can do!" Hikaru and Kaoru gave Tamaki a salute.

"Yes, sir!" Honey agreed, Mori going along with him.

"Alright, senpai," Haruhi shook a little, "You're not…If Éclair comes back…"

"Haruhi," Tamaki cradled her against his chest, "Don't worry. Last I heard, Éclair's in Prague. She's not coming anywhere near here. We'll be fine. Now, I want you to be a good little host for me, ok? That's all I'm asking…"

"Ok," she cuddled into her boyfriend, "And you only love me, right?"

"Of course," he promised, "I'm not going anywhere and no one is taking you away from me."

"Hello, Tamaki," a familiar voice put a knot in my stomach, "Still holding that sweet, innocent maiden hostage, are we?"

"Not now, Beni-bara," Tamaki brushed her off, "We're kind of in the middle of something."

"I'd like to have a word with her," she demanded, "If that's not too much to ask."

"Wait a minute," Hikaru was skeptical.

"You're a lot more civil than you usually are," Kaoru shared his brother's sentiment.

"How do we know you're not going to snake Lana away from us?"

"I promise you," Beni-bara swore, "I'm not going to take her. I just want to talk."

"No," Kyoya spoke on my behalf, "Not happening."

"Ok," I nodded, "We can talk."

"Lana?" he gave me a look, "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," I kissed his cheek, "She did promise she wouldn't take me. Beni-bara doesn't seem like the type to go back on her word."

"It's nice to see I have someone's trust around here," Beni-bara grinned darkly, "Shall we, maiden?"

"Ok," I let go of Kyoya's hand and did my best to keep a level head as Beni-bara and I went into the hallway, "What did you want with me, Beni-bara?"

"Rumor has it your Ouran scholarship's running out," she took my hand, brushing her fingers gently across the back of it, "Do you want to stay in Japan, my dear?"

"Of course I do," I sighed out, "But I do miss it back where I was."

"It's Lana, right?" Beni-bara asked.

"Yeah."

"I have an offer for you," she told, "I can keep you in Japan."

"Really?" I got a little excited, but remained cautiously optimistic, "How?"

"You can still go to school here," Beni-bara went on, "Only one little string."

There was the other shoe, "As long as I'm still in Japan, I'll be fine."

"I never said you'd be going to Ouran Academy," she grinned darkly, "I can get you another year in Tokyo. However, you'd be going to St. Lobelia Academy instead. And a member of the Zuka club."

"What else?" I had so many misgivings about this, but if it kept me in Japan with my friends…my family, then so be it. I could sell my soul to the Zuka club.

"Well," Beni-bara stipulated, "The Ouran Host Club is the sworn enemy of the Zuka club, so you're going to have to leave those morons behind."

"What?" my heart shattered.

"It's either you stay in Japan and continue your education without these toxic idiots," she gave me the ultimatum, "Or you leave the country, go back to wherever you plan on going, and they're out of your reach."

"No," I shot her down, "I'm sorry, Beni-bara, but that's not happening. I'm not leaving my boys behind. I'm sure my education will understand, but I can't leave my boys. They mean too much to me."

"But Lana," she begged, "There'd be a whole new set of sisters to love you in the Zuka club."

"That's too bad," I stood my ground, "I love my host club. It's a guarantee that I get to see my boyfriend every day. And all my friends. I'm not leaving them for the Zuka club."

"Well," Beni-bara shrugged, "You can't have your cake and eat it, too. That's the deal."

"I'm not taking it," I shook my head.

"Such a shame," she traced along my jaw with her finger, "I thought you would've stayed pure. They've tainted you, too. And another one bites the dust."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I gave her a look, losing all ability to give a damn. Being around Rhiannon for the past few weeks have brought that out in me, "Like, seriously. Who hurt you?"

In complete shock, Beni-bara's mouth hung open. I think I sufficiently shut her up, "How dare you…?"

"We're done here," I gave her a metaphorical mic drop and went back into the music room. The post badass buzz felt kind of good. Rhi would be proud. I walked back toward Kyoya and slipped him a quick kiss, "I'll be back when the crowd dies down, ok?"

"Are you alright?" he worried, pulling me down to his lap, "What did Beni-bara want?"

"Don't worry about it," I settled him, "I'm fine. I'm going to go check in on my jellyfish babies."

"Alright," Kyoya let me go, giving me one last kiss, "I love you."

"I know," I shot him a wink and headed for the aquarium. Once I came down from high, I needed to be around these beautiful creatures. I started shaking from the adrenaline withdrawals. And nothing could even me out quite like watching a jellyfish swim.

"Thought I'd find you here," Rhiannon joined me, "What are you doing here all by your lonesome? Kyoya called me and said you got did a one-eighty."

"A momentary lapse," I rested my head on my sister's shoulder, "There were too many people in the host club. Things are a lot simpler here. All they have to do is swim. And that's all I have to do, too. Just swim."

"You going back?"

"Once things dwindle down a little more," I nodded, "I can't leave them too long. It turns into anarchy."

"You want me come with?" she offered.

"You don't have to," I brushed her off, "If it's not purely for your own reasons, don't. I'm fine, Rhi. I promise. They're my boys. I got it."

"Ok," Rhiannon let it go, giving me a little hug, "You need anything, call me."

"I will," I was almost positive that it was pretty safe to go back to the host club again, considering it was damn near time for it to close for the day. I left the aquarium and went back to Ouran Academy. Into that same music room that I fainted in on my first day. Where I met my boys that I know and love so very much. Where I had fallen in love. Where I knew I'd always be ok and I'd always be safe. Where all eight of us were going to sit around and have another bonfire feeling. I never wanted to leave.

"I can't believe we're graduating soon, Takashi," Honey squeaked.

"Mmm…" Mori grunted.

"I'm going to have to skip out on that," I sighed out, resting my head on Kyoya's chest, "Sorry, guys."

"Why, Lana-chan?" Honey's eyes started tearing up a bit.

"Because," I swallowed the swelling lump in my throat. Here goes nothing, "I got a letter from admissions…"

"What'd it say?" Haruhi asked.

"My…" I rubbed my eyes, hoping to God no tears were about to come out, "My scholarship is done. And I'll have a flight to board."

"No," Tamaki whined, "Where are you going?"

"I'll be in New York for the summer with Rhiannon," I told, "Then, I'll be back in London."

"It really won't be the same without you, Lana," Kyoya held me a little tighter.

"You'll come and visit me, right?" I hoped.

"Of course," he kissed the top of my head.

"Call me every day?"

"When I can."

"I'll wake you up," I offered, "You wake me up?"

"Deal," Kyoya snuggled me.

"You know," I started getting a little emotional, "You guys are the best friends I've ever had."

"We're not going away, Lana," Tamaki swore.

"We can promise that much," Hikaru agreed.

"Never," Kaoru smiled a little.

"We'll always be here, Lana-chan," Honey added.

"Anytime," Mori assured.

"No matter what," Haruhi added, "We're too much like family."

"I know," I wiped my eyes, "Now, all of you, shut up before I start crying."

A few weeks later, the year had come to an end and Rhiannon and I were back in JFK. The goodbyes were too heartbreaking, so I made a deal with the host club. All I wanted was one more night with Kyoya and no one would stand at the gate as our plane took off. My high school career in Japan had come to a close and my summer would begin in my sister's apartment. And because Rhiannon didn't trust me alone in her place, I went to her tattoo shop with her.

"Rhiannon!" a short, Mexican man stood in the middle of the shop, hugging my sister tight, "I missed you so much! How was Tokyo? Did Yoshi give you a hard time?"

"I learned so much from Yoshi," she beamed, "I never wanted to leave. His shop was absolutely perfect. Tokyo was very good to me."

"Good to hear," he turned his attention toward me, "Is that Lana?"

"Yeah," Rhiannon pulled me over, "Lana, this is Carlos. Now when I talk about him on the phone, you can't say you've never met him."

"Hi," I kept quiet.

"Hello," Carlos kissed the back of my hand, "Encantado, chica. It's a pleasure."

"Hey, Rhiannon," I took my hand back, painfully uncomfortable, "I talked to Dr. Moreno the other day. And she gave me some good news."

"I can do the thing?!" Rhiannon squealed.

"You can do the thing," I settled her, "Besides, a good twinge of pain on my wrists sounds like a good idea."

"Lana," she awed, dragging me to her station, "You told me you weren't going to do it just for the pain factor. What's got you down?"

"It's nothing…" I let out a heavy, depressed sigh.

However, because Rhiannon's my sister, she saw right through me. She knew exactly what was screwing me up, "You miss him, don't you?"

"I miss all of them," I laid on her table.

"Well," Rhiannon started drawing, "I have some good news for you."

"What?"

"I have a guy that wants to design your tattoo," she told, "We've talked it over. It's been a bit of a collaborative effort. He's a sweetheart and one hell of an artist. You're going to love him, Lana. I promise."

"Fine," I was that level of empty where I didn't care what was happening. My emotional flatness could give the plains of Kansas a run for their money. I shut my eyes for just a minute, "Call him. Get him here. Whatever you have to do."

"What if I was already here?" a familiar voice rumbled in my ear, resonating through to my soul as he planted a soft, little kiss on my temple, "I missed you, too."

"No," I gasped, "Kyoya…"

"Hi," my boyfriend held me against his chest, "I'm sure you won't have a problem if I'm the one designing your tattoo, right?"

"God, no," I cried in his shoulder. There was no holding that in.

"I was thinking," Kyoya gently pulled my cardigan sleeve up, "You know those big, beautiful sakura blossoms in the courtyard you can see from outside the host club?"

"Yeah," I shook, "Why?"

"How about," he grabbed a few sharpies out of the cup on Rhiannon's desk and began a rough sketch on my forearm right over my scars, "we put some of them right here? That way, you never have to forget that view."

"I don't think I could…"

"Shh…" Kyoya wiped my cheeks, "It's alright, Lana. It's just you and me, ok? It's like Rhiannon isn't even here."

"Hey!" Rhi pouted.

"Rhiannon," he stopped her, continuing with his sketch, "She's a little fragile right now. She's very exposed."

"Right," she bit her tongue, "Let me know when you're done, Kyoya."

"Ok," I watched as he pushed the marker into my skin some more. Every line, every color was so mesmerizing. Until he added one little character in the middle of the middle blossom.

"Kyoya," I wondered, "What's that?"

"You," he smiled, "It's the kanji for warrior."

"You think I'm a warrior?"

"No," he shook his head, finishing up the last petal, "I know you are. You're so much stronger than you give yourself credit for, Lana. Even when I'm not around, I know you're going to be ok. And I'm so proud of how far you've come. How far we've come together. I'm not saying I'm going anywhere, but if you ever need me, you know I'll come running. No matter where I am in the world. No matter where you are. You can stand on your own, but that doesn't mean you have to. Never forget that…"

 **A/N: There we are. The end. No more Kiss, Kiss. Thank you, you wonderful creature, for sticking this out with me. Some of it wasn't exactly easy to write. Some of it tore my heart out. Some of it I still feel guilty about. A lot of it was based on personal experience and it's probably the most personal thing I've ever posted on the internet. My thought on that; if my misery could even be the slightest of help to anyone else, so they didn't feel so alone, then, it's done its job. That is what I wanted the main takeaway of this story to be. You're. Not. Alone. And when in doubt, you got me. You always do. I'm like Nanny McPhee. When you need me but do not want me, then I must say. When you want me but no longer need me, then I have to go. I'm pretty sure we're at the latter at this point…**

 **But before I go, I do believe I said I had a surprise for you, didn't I? *looks in her big ass bag* Let's see. If I give you a teddy bear, you'll take it as an insult and throw it on the ground because it's not Usa-chan and Tamaki will go tend the mushrooms…If I give you a banana peel, you'll just slip on it…If I give you a mechanical pencil, there's a good chance it's Haruhi's…What could I possibly give you sweet, sweet little angels? Maybe…Ah, yes…That sounds like a good idea. That sounds like a brilliant idea, Lumi…Perfect…**

 **…How would you like a sequel? Like one that's going to come out next Tuesday? Is that ok with you? Is Tuesday still good with you? I mean, I'll have a continuation of my Death Note fic on Mondays and Yuri on Ice on Wednesdays with an added Supernatural fic added to the roster on Thursdays. Tuesdays just seem like a good day for an Ouran fic. So, you're asking yourself, "Lumi, what are you going to do on Fridays?" Well, friend. I'll tell you that next week. You know…Next time I see you? I told you not to worry. Everything was going to be fine. xx**


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